Legacy of Luster
by Corruption kibble
Summary: After what feels like an age of living two lives, Louise Valliere, fed up with one life, leaves it to live the one where she is accepted. Unfortunately not all take her disappearance well, and when the land she left for is forcibly dragged to Halkeginia, nothing will be the same, for humans,for Gems.
1. Chapter 1

The office of Headmaster Osmond of the Tristain Academy of Magic was quiet as all who sat within were silent with hopes, and other darker emotions. Duchess Karin of the Valliere, as well as her two eldest daughters sat waiting before him awaiting answers that he did not yet have.

Then, much to Osmond's relief, the door to his office opened, and Professor jean Colbert stepped in while clutching something to his chest with one arm. He barely had closed the door when both of the Valliere daughters stood and began speaking.

"What did you find?" "Did Louise leave anything?" "was there anything at all?" " Was it a struggle?"

"Cattleya, Eleonore! Let the professor catch his breath!" Karin Valliere commanded, causing both of her children to quiet immediately.

"Thank you, Duchess," Jean said as he walked in and placed what he was carrying, a pair of leather bound books, on Osmond's desk.

"Is that all you could find?" Karin asked after a few seconds, making it clear to jean and Osmond that she wanted to know shat became of her youngest just as much as her two other children did.

"These were the only things of importance I could bring here, yes. They both are diaries,"

"Two diaries?" Cattleya asked in curiosity and confusion.

"Yes," Jean said as he turned his gaze to Karin. "When I received word of your permission to look into your daughters disappearance yesterday, these were all I could find. I looked through them, and I apologize for doing so, but I believe I have found a number of things of importance from doing so, including a possible location of where she has seemingly disappeared to."

"Then why have you not told us already?!" Eleonore demanded to know.

"because the situation is not so simple and you would need to see the information to believe it," Colbert explained as he again looked at Karin. "Duchess, you are of course aware of your daughters fainting spells, correct?"

"I should hope so when you would send a missive every time one occurred. What does that have to do with my daughters disappearance?"

"A considerable amount it would seem," jean said as he flipped open the one dairy and placed it on the desk towards Karin. "That entry is marked the day she woke from her first fainting spell early last year."

Xxx

_It seems I fainted in class trying to cast a spell. I expected it to explode, not knock me out. I don't even remember what spell I was supposed to cast, but for some reason I remember having some kind of odd dream. Of being immovable and just watching a huge expanse of ocean with six moons in the sky. So strange._

Xxx

"what does this have to do with my daughters disappearance?" Karin asked Coolly.

"This is the start. Read the entry on the next page, it is marked and was written after her third fainting spell, when we had the nurse look at her to," Jean said as he gestured to the book.

Xxx

_I fainted casting a spell again. This makes it the third time now, and the school nurse is not sure why it is happening. It probably doesn't matter though, not like I can cast magic anyway._

_I had that odd dream again too. Every time I faint trying to cast a spell now I wake up there on that beach, only this time more happened. The last two times I tried to move or look around, but could barely do so, but this time I heard someone call out to me. I couldn't see them, but I was lifted up and carried into a building, and I could hear all kinds of other voices nearby._

_Could this be something other than a dream?_

_I think if this continues then I'll write about these in another diary, otherwise I might fill this one sooner than I figured._

Xxxxxxxx

"So she was dreaming wile unconscious, that is not so surprising, " Karin said as she stared at Jean. "Tell me why you are toying with me like this?"

"I am not toying with you," Jean said seriously as he picked up the second diary and held it out. "The entries related to what you just read continue in this diary. The final entry states what she planned, but it would make no sense without reading the prior entries, at the very least the ones I have marked, as the details within are startling."

"If it States where my daughter is, then tell me already! " Karin demanded harshly.

"She claims in the final entry that she used a spell to take herself to the place she saw while unconscious," Jean said, not looking away from Karin's gaze for even a second while speaking.

"Have you found her body? " Karin asked after a few seconds, making Cattleya quietly gasp.

"there was no body, and not even a drop of blood anywhere on the grounds, or in her room," Jean said calmly. The only other thing of note beside that diary, was a number of burn marks etched in the floor of her room that match those that would appear after the completion of a high powered ritual casting of some kind."

" . . . . . you believe she managed to do as she wrote? That she cast a spell that somehow moved her elsewhere?" Karin asked.

"Considering the meager evidence I found in her room, and the very in depth noted in that diary, yes, I do," Jean said simply.

"Mother, I do not believe he is lying or trying to make fools of us," Eleonore spoke up suddenly, it being a rare thing for her to take any one else's side.

"I agree mother. Can we not at least read the important entries in Louise's diary and see what they say?" Cattleya asked hopefully, her dyes filled with pain. "Maybe, Louise left us a message of some sort, or a way to find her that only we would recognize?"

Karin looked at her two eldest daughters for a few seconds and then sighed. "Very well."

"Duchess Valliere, I realize this is a very personal thing to you and your family, but might I request that you read it here?" Osmond suddenly spoke up, sounding very serious. "There is something that I would like to confirm and I have the feeling that the answer is within that diary."

"As long as you swear nothing you hear leaves this room!" Karin responded to the headmaster.

"Of course, my lips are sealed as long as it does not affect the safety of the nation, and as long as I receive your permission, duchess."

"Good," Karin said as she turned to ajean and held a hand out to him, making I t clear she wanted the diary.

"Mother, might I read it out?" Cattleya spoke up before Jean could hand it over. Karin simply nodded, leading to Cattleya gingerly taking the diary from Jean and opening it. "I should just read the ones you have marked, correct?"

"It would be best to read all of them, but the ones I have marked should give the most information," jean answered honestly.

"Alright. Then, the first entry!"

Xxx

_Entry one._

_I've gone ahead and bought another diary to record my fainting dreams, because it happened again a couple days ago, and was far different than the last few times._

_Whereas before I seemed to ne awake in the dream for only a short time, this time I spent nearly three weeks in that place. And I have learned much about it. So much that I am hesitant to continue to call it a dream._

_It picked up where it had left off, with my waking in a room with one person else around me. He was a tall man, bald, with a hard angular face and a wide build who wore strange robes that sort of felt like a member of the clergy's, but were so different I cannot truly come up with any sort of real description for them. Despite his looks though, his eyes were soft with care, and his tone was calm, so calm it was hard to not listen to him._

_His name is Kongou and for what I think was a couple of days he was . . . . . I think carving me is the best way to put it. There was another person with him who helped, and they are the, doctor I guess, of the people of that place. They had the shape of a person, but their hair was like it was made of stone, yet all flowing and hairlike. They were named Rutile, and while I want to say they were a girl, that would be wrong as they and Kongou made it very clear to me while carving me that they were called Gems, and they did not have gender._

_It seems that while there I am one of these Gems, hence why they had to carve me to give me a shape. It also explains why it was so hare to move before they had carved me. In those weeks I had caught glimpses of other Gems, but was not introduced to them as I was being taught by Kongou. I could mostly move, and I could understand what he and Rutile would say, but I couldn't quiet speak myself, and that was what the teaching was primarily on. Despite how simple it was it was, nice. Neither Kongou or Rutile got fed up with me when I couldn't quiet say things right, and they were helpful the entire time._

_At least more helpful than any of the professors at the academy were for magic!_

_Xxx_

_Entry two_

_I've discovered three things after this latest fainting spell and the subsequent time in the other place. _

_The first is that the time I am there seems to be increasing a bit as I was there for a month before waking up, having been unconscious for just about a day. The second thing is that I know I am not dreaming, and that is because of the third thing I found out. Time in that place keeps moving even if I'm not around, and my sudden disappearance was not taken well by Kongou, Rutile, or any of the other Gems. It seems to them I had just up and disappeared without a trace for about a month straight. They were worried I had wandered off and gotten taken by something called the Lunarians, whatever they are._

_It seems that, not only is Kongou the leader of the Gems, but his word is also law. I couldn't think of what to say to explain my absence, but he simply said I could explain myself to him at a later time, and that no one would bother me about disappearing. And no one said anything about it, at least not directly too me._

_Once that was out of the way I was taught more by Kongou and Rutile, and once I was comfortable with speaking and moving on my own I was introduced to many of the others, of which four of them were very impressive to me._

_Jade acts like a leader under Kongou, helping keep people in line, and her green hair and commanding attitude are nice, strong, but never so demanding as some people I could name, and they are never hateful that I can tell. _

_Yellow diamond is one of the oldest Gems apparently, and is so fast I could not keep my eyes on them. Their very tough, but kind of feels like they're sad when no one is looking, but keeps up a strong façade for others._

_Lapis Lazuli is the second nicest person of all of the Gems I have met. They are very pretty and extremely intelligent, but it feels like their trying to convince me of something when I speak to them. Like some of the academy professors try to do when arguing with a student._

_And then there is the most gorgeous, and the nicest of all of them I have met. Padparadscha. Their hair is so long and flowy it defies belief, and they are so strong it reminds me of mother, and so nice it reminds me of Cattleya, especially as they are kind of sick in that they cannot be awake to long. Something about their body doesn't absorb light well or something._

_Xxx_

_Entry four._

_Having disappeared a few times now, Kongou insisted I speak with him about it. It was enlightening as I decided to not lie and told him the truth. If I told any teacher or nurse at the academy what I was going through while unconscious they would probably call me crazy and ship me off to the church for an exorcism, but Kongou did not interrupt me once, and when I was done he simply said he would consider what I had told him. I expected more, confusion, or maybe anger I guess. I'm use to people getting angry at me. Eleonore, mother, father, my classmates, even some of the teachers too._

_Back on track, with my time there, I think I had been there for two years, though I missed winter apparently with my disappearances. The time I'm there for keeps increasing, as does the time I am absent for, but I still am learning a lot about life there, and about Gems themselves._

_Everyone is named after the gemstone or mineral they are comprised of, and everyone has a pair of, statistics I guess, that are important to them for different reasons._

_First is a Gems hardness. Its on a scale from one to ten with Gems like diamond, yellow diamond and Bort being at ten, though supposedly there is no gem with hardness lower than two as they would not have the strength to stay standing._

_The second is a Gems cleavage, and I am not talking about breasts. In Gems, cleavage is a tendency to break along a lustrous and flat surface. Gems like Bort or myself with little to know cleavage gave less of a tendency to break when struck, while those with higher cleavage, Like Diamond, can break or fracture more easily._

_I have put it off thus far, but as I mentioned myself I may as well write it down. While there I am Gem called Uraninite, though most of the others simply call me Ura, pronounced You- ra. I have a hardness of about 5.5 and have little to no cleavage, making me exceedingly average in those facets. In looks I'm pretty boring. I don't have a radiant shine or color like a lot of Gems, and am most like Bort in how simple and one colored I am, that color being a very dark Greenish grey. What is strange is that, unlike most of the others who get a tiny bit sluggish when the sun is not out, I don't seem to, and there have been a few moments where Crystal grows out of my arms, or something I touch glows for a time. Kongou says it is because I am a rare Radioactive Gem, but he would not tell me what that meant, saying that I was not old and experienced enough to delve into that._

_And considering that it seems like Gems are not allowed to fight until they reach one hundred years old at the earliest, I understand his reasoning even if I don't like it._

_Xxx_

_Entry seven._

_This last fainting spell had me there for almost twenty years, and having disappeared for a hundred. The last few have been similar, and I now am considered to be over one hundred years of age in that place. As such I have now begun taking lessons from Euclase in combat, and Kongou has agreed to help me understand my particular qualities as long as I do something when I next, disappear. He wants me to look into how it happens, and research it, and explain what I find to him when I return._

_I was planning on doing so anyway, and have already begun heading to the library in the academy at every possible moment to do research._

_I think I'll keep my research notes in this diary, not that I will have a problem remembering anything. It seems that Gems have a perfect memory with a single fault, it they lose a part of their body and it cannot be reattached then they lose some memories as their memory is held in all parts of their body. I seem to be a bit of an enigma in that regard though, as when the crystal growths are chipped off me, I don't believe I lose any sort of memory. I'll have to ask Kongou about it the next time I'm there._

_Cxxc_

_Entry 7.2 – research_

_So my last week of research has been enlightening. Any historic time that a spell 'explodes' as mine do, has been connected to a mage not using an element they have an affinity for, in fact a negative affinity. With my parents elements, and my sisters, the only element I should reasonably have difficulty with is fire, yet all my spells explode._

_What is truly strange is that my explosions do not appear to cause harm to the surroundings aside from knocking people around and myself out, when all information tells of mages being seriously hurt themselves from such events._

_I clearly need to look into this more. Something does not add up at all._

_XXX _

_entry 7.3 – research _

_On an extremely miniscule chance I scoured the library for everything on the fifth type of magic, Void, the founders magic. There was surprisingly little, but what I could find describes void magic as the opposite of elemental, being able to do amazing feats like destroy other magic, move insanely fast, command beasts and constructs flawlessly and even travel great distances instantly. The last one piqued my interest, but when I asked the librarian they said I already had all the books the library had that referenced Void magic. Its odd, shouldn't there be more about the founders element? One book mentioned that his magic would manifest in four chosen people at all times to keep peace in the land, at least a thousand years ago. But if that is the case, where are they? Why do we not hear anything about them?_

_Still, the mentions of what void magic can do is curious, especially one story of the founder sundering an army with a single spell describes as an explosion beyond precedence._

_Xxx_

_Entry 7.4 – research_

_It took time but j managed to find some more books on void magic at a bookstore in the capitol, and it was not cheap, but it was worth it. It is less a book than an old tome, and describes the effects and usage of a number of void spells witnessed in the three thousands years after The Founders passing. It explains how most void magic was either cast instantly or after long incantations or rituals, as well as the effects of failed castings. Many of them match up with my failed spells._

_I believe I will try some experiments with what the book describes and then continued writing._

…_._

_So, I have proven what I figured, the reason I cannot cast most magic is probably because my element is Void. I managed to shift and change the types of explosions I caused just by thinking differently, and intending to create an explosion. The smallest explosion made a tree suck in on itself before exploding outward, while the largest made a meter deep crater._

_I should be happy about this, but a short warning in that book , plus knowing what many other nobility can be like makes me worried about the results if I was to make it known I was a void mage. Henrietta would claim to protect me, but I'm sure the church, and other nobles would want me to use my power to the 'benefit' or Tristain. And that is to say nothing about how other countries would react._

_If nothing else, what good would it do me when no teacher could teach me? I would have to be self taught, and I cannot see much more use from this book or those in the academy._

_It makes me wonder actually, if the academy has a special place for more important documents or spell books like how the castle in Tristania does? It should really, and I recall hearing once about a vault in the academy. I wonder how hard it would be to find?_

_Xxx_

_Entry nine._

_So, this last burst of time as a Gem has been very informative. I discovered that I do not swim well, or at all, as all I do is sink in the water. Apparently this is normal as well so at least I'm not odd in that respect._

_I also have discovered I am not bad with a sword, but that I can now mostly control the growth of crystals in my body and how to manipulate it. Essentially my body creates its own energy, and that is why I do not get very tired when it is night time or the winter, which I stayed up for about thirty of them helping Antarcticite. I also found that I can use the energy in my body both to heat things I hold, even melt them, and was able to project the energy away from my hands in something not dissimilar from a cone of fire. The Lunarians do not seem to like it._

_Ah, right. I also have now begun fighting the Lunarians as well. They look kind of like people, but almost seem made of mist and turn into it when slashed. Or clawed, or fried, or crushed, or blasted. _

_Huh, I seem to have a lot of ways to hurt them it seems._

_They also just do not like me at all. Being a relatively boring color they must not be attracted to me, which is both good and bad for too many reasons to number._

_Lapis Lazuli was helping me with some of my studies on this side, and was part of my conversations about Halkeginian magic with Kongou, but the year before I woke up she got partly taken by the Lunarians. Only her head was saved and she won't wake up, for obvious reasons._

_With what I had shared with Kongou and Lapis, they agreed that it was possible I was, projecting, my consciousness to this place while unconscious, and that when I wake up I disappear even in body. The logic behind it makes some sense, but Kongou is clearly way more intelligent than I first realized._

_Xxx_

_Entry 11.4 - research _

_It took a lot of time, both mapping out the school and doing so without being caught, but now i know where two different vaults are in the school. One is in the center of the main tower, while the other is underneath the school itself._

_I don't know which one would have what I need, but I think the underground one is a safer bet for keeping books and tomes safe, as colder temperature is best in that regard. I'll have to look into and investigate how to open it. I wonder if there is a key?_

_Xxx_

_Entry 11.5 – research _

_Its taken about four days, but I know there is a key, and only a key to the lower vault. It was well hidden I suppose, but just a key being what is needed feels, lazy. Now I just need the key itself, as well as finding out who has it. _

_Xxx_

_Entry 11.6_

_So, I have an ally of sorts now, not that I am very Happy about it. It seems that the their known as Fouquet is masquerading as a teacher and , assisted me, in getting into the lower vault as they had interest in it as well and said they would not have found it without me. I considered selling them out, but decided not to, even though it could be considered treason. I am after all, breaking into a vault for my own reasons._

_The underground vault was, interesting. Full of books of so many kinds it took me three trips to bring all the books I found useful to me to my room. I am still not done reading through them all, but those that I have made me angry. Easily half of the Brimiric faith is, not what it is said, and there is so much information about void magic, that if even one teacher had even considered the possibility, I would have been found to be a void mage already!_

_Some information, explicitly on spells of void magic, is of extreme interest to me._

_Ccc_

_Entry 11.7_

_It seems that I have changed a bit without realizing it. I overheard some other students talking about how I seem more mature, and completely ignore their jeers and teasing or how I have not gotten a single question in class wrong, and have said I would not show magic before the class._

_I guess I was so interested in my own research I stopped paying attention to them._

_Unfortunately this is making things worse as I've noticed more hushed whispers between people directed toward me, which if history is anything to go by, means I can look forward to a lot more teasing, both verbal and physical._

_Maybe I'll intentionally cast a spell wrong this afternoon so I can go back to the island and share what I know with Kongou. Everyone there is nice and caring after all, and while the Lunarians are a danger, they feel less dangerous than politics is. Only a handful of people would miss me too. I wonder if one of these books has a spell to send me there permanently? _

_Xxx_

_Entry 12_

_Fifty seven years, and with it, I believe I know what my plan is now. I've gone over it repeatedly with Kongou, and we are reasonably sure with the knowledge I have already found that it should be possible to move here permanently if I so desired it._

_Technically he believes that a similar spell could also move places to other places as well, but that seems excessive to me._

_I'll need to read the last of the tomes when I finish writing this, but there are only four I have yet to finish, so it shouldn't be that hard._

_Xxx_

_Entry 12.1 – research_

_Finishing the last tomes I understand why two of them at least were sealed away. One contains a void spell that is supposed to sacrifice the mages familiar, with the intention of killing all of the familiars species that exist, essentially a spell for genocide. Even worse, it mentions that it was de used by the founder Brimir to kill the elves, even though it alludes that at the time when he was alive, humans and elves were not mortal enemies._

_The more I find out about the founder and void magic the less I like it._

_The other spell seemed to be exactly what I need however, even if its use could be abused by more unscrupulous or unsavory people._

_The spell itself is smartly called banishment, and was devised by a void mage a thousand years after Brimir's time, and Appears to have two potential uses. The first is that it banishes a person to, what the writer calls, an alternate dimension of existence so that the one banished may never return to wage war or evil on the common man. A noble idea, but it is noted that he was banished by his own spell by another void mage who did not care for him, so its easy to see why void maybe stopped being common maybe._

_The other use of the spell is that it would allow a person, or place, to be moved, banished to another place of their choosing. It notes that the idea uses the use of a ritual and connected markings that act as anchors, and has an example of being able to transport an entire castle, or a mages personal home and all their notes, elsewhere if endangered. There are a variety of details about how to limit or expand the range, but it is clear to me that to make the best chance of success I will need to make a main symbol somewhere on the Lustrous island, as well as a number of markers around the island to help stabilize the spell. It would also have to be made of the same material, in both dimensions, which will limit what I can use severely._

_I will have to go into the nearest town or city with either building material, or a jeweler on the next day off._

_Xxx_

_Entry 12.2 – research _

_Knowing what I do of minerals and gemstones from the centuries of being a sentient one, I have decided to use Malachite as the focusing material for the ritual. Its pretty common, being used in lower quality jewelry, and is soft enough that with a little bit of work I can carve the symbol I decide upon into it._

_The Springtime Familiar summoning is in a week and everyone is bragging about what they claim they will summon. Some have tried goading me into joining the conversations, mocking me or a simply asking what I think I will get. I've taken to simply smiling at them and locking myself in my room to make sure the Malachite I got is correctly carved._

_Then all I need to do is send myself to the island, make some markers and symbols there, and I can finish this. I can go there permanently!_

_Xxx_

_Entry thirteen_

_Its done. I've set the markers on the island, and in the room I have there. I can do the ritual at any time, which is good because tomorrow is the Springtime Familiar summoning ritual._

_I admit, now that I can do it, I am feeling bit of trepidation about it._

_There's a newly born Gem who is utterly adorable named Phosphophylite, they were very shy and curious. I told Kongou I was ready to go through with it, but he said to be absolutely certain that I was before doing it._

_And I am just writing to try to calm myself down. . . .I'll sleep on it, I'll know in the morning._

_Xxx_

_Entry 13.1 – final entry._

_The Familiar summoning went about as expected in that I did not try, I just acted like I did. The mocking jeers from my classmates and the expectant tone from professor Colbert gave me all the confirmation I needed. I'm empowering the ritual circle I've drawn in my room while I write this, and the only people that I am sorry for my imminent disappearance is my dear sister Cattleya, and my only and truest friend Henrietta. To both of you, I am sorry, but by leaving I will be in a place that suites me better, and I hope neither of you inherit my Void magic when I am gone, as many texts I read stated often happened._

_Goodbye._

_Xxx_

Cattleya looked up from the diary, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "That, is the last entry."

"I see. You believe that my daughters writings are correct then? That she found out she was avoid mage, and ran away to another land by use of void magic. Is that correct?" Karin Asked, turning her cold steely gaze to Jean.

"Yes, the evidence in her room corroborates it," jean answered simply.

"Very well, then that is done with. What is being done to look for Fouquet?"

"All staff are being looked into covertly as we speak," Osmond spoke up calmly, as if the situation was under control.

"Good, then I would like all evidence in regards to my wayward daughters actions, the tomes she stole, the books she had, any remains of the stones she used, even the flooding that has the marks of her ritual, gathered together!"

"May I ask why?" Osmond asked curiously.

"because, my daughter has committed numerous accounts of high crime and treason, but there also references to improper actions by the academy teachers and other students. I will bring all of this evidence before the crown, and the crown will decide what is to be done," Karin said cooly as she turned and glared at Jean. "And that includes your inactions as well, professor!"

"Mother, that is not-" Cattleya began to say, until Osmand suddenly stood up.

"I believe now would be a good time to call this meeting. Duchess, would your daughters be willing to go with Mr. Colbert to gather all the evidence?"

"yes, and I will as well. I need to see it for myself," Karin stated as she stormed out, being immediately followed by her daughters, and a second later by Mr Colbert.

"Goodness, this has certainly become a situation," Old osmond muttered before sighing. "It is alright to come out now, your Majesty."

A second later the doors to the offices closed closet opened and Princess Henrietta herself stepped out, looking both uncomfortable, and saddened. "Thank you for allowing me this Old Osmond. I needed to hear what my friend left me."

"It is alright, I was curious as well, and it did answer a number of questions, about her disappearance, the vault, and your suddenly magical affinity shift,"

"Yes, having Void magic now does bring a number of issues up, but I am more interested in the tomes that Louise found in the vault that allowed her to, leave."

"May I be so bold as to ask why, your majesty?"

"There are several reasons, among them being that I wish for answers from Louise, and that she needs to be punished for what she has done. With war with Albion on the horizon our country will need everything it can get as well!" Henrietta said before briskly walking out of the room, leaving old Osmond alone in his office.

"Goodness, this has certainly taken a strange turn. I hope none of them act too rashly, but I suppose I shall not getg my hopes up."

Zzzzxxx

**Kibbles note: so this idea came to me from a friend who mentioned that a crossover like this could be interesting, and I just took to it. I'm not entirely sure of it, but the best way to figure if people like the concept is to give people the chance to read it and give feedback, so here we are!**

**It should be clear, but things will not be very cut and dry in how the plot will go for this idea if its well received. So I hope you enjoy and please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**kibble commentary: so I quick like an insane rabbit worked on this next chapter because, by Kongous bald head I did not expect such a large positive response! Like, did the stars align or something? Whatever the reason it looks like I'll have to alternate my work between my two stories that have gotten the best response.**

**And perhaps most importantly, thank you to all of you that gave such awesome responses! **

**Now to what your waiting for, the story!**

* * *

For a while, all there was was an impenetrable darkness that blotted out the senses and denied any concept of time. Drifting through it was like floating in oil that sucked the sensations from the body and tried to slide down ones throat to drown out the life from their soul. After a time that felt like ages however, the feelings the darkness brought disappeared, and shortly after the darkness itself was washed away by a complete and all encompassing feeling of solidarity.

With that feeling eyes were opened, and a vast ocean covered in glacial growths was immediately visible.

"I'm back. . ? I'm back! It worked! I'm back! Yes!" the humanoid being said as they leapt up and down happily, snow crunching underneath their substantial weight with each jump. Then the being ran over to the edge of the endless sea, findings an area of clear water near the beach that was not filled with aggressively sharp towers of ice.

Uraninite smiled at their reflection in the water. A body of dull grey-green gem like mineral, with hair that was a bit lighter and ever so slightly transparent at the edges trailing down to their mid back. Their eyes were the same color as their hair, though with a very barely discernable orange-pink glint to them. Their clothing was a simple pair of black shorts, rather short shorts, and a simple white shirt with no sleeves. Their shoes were simple and black, but it was difficult to tell due to all of their skin having the same general color as their face and hair.

"Well, I'll have to raid Rutile's stock of the powder, but its not like that isn't normal. Well, was normal? If I really succeeded and won't disappear again I won't have to worry about that anymore!" Uraninite said with a grin as they stood up and began glancing around.

They were on a section of beach with cliffs to the far left with two points of interest. The first was the shining speckles in the cliff, marking the other side of the cliff as the Cord shore. The second point of interest was the very obvious black gash in the sky that was rippling out of itself and disgorging a disc of white clouds and mist. A sunspot, with a Lunarian platform slipping out of it. Though they could only see the top of it over the cliff face.

"Argh, just my luck," they complained as they looked around and, finding no immediately easy way up or around the cliff faces, ran toward the nearest sheer cliff face and run a good couple meters up. As they began to slip, both because of the average weight of Gems, and the snow and ice on the cliff itself, Uraninite pushed energy into their forearms, causing greyish green crystal to grow out of them in the forms of sharp pointy classed gauntlets, and slammed the tips into the cliff. No longer falling they began climbing the cliff using only their arms, grunting as they went. "Damn. I shouldn't, be exerting so much energy, this quickly. I haven't had the sunlight, or enough time to generate my, own yet!"

Suddenly the telling sounds of arrows being let loose and striking stone, as well as the sound of evaporating Lunarian's echoed over the coast.

"Dammit! Please let no one be lost while I'm still on the way! Please no one get taken! Let me make it in time!" Uraninite said, each word a strain as they began to feel even more tired as they climbed up over the edge of the cliff into a foot and half thick blanket of snow. Upon contact with the crystalline claws that covered their arms the snow began melting, and in seconds they had a mostly safe footing at the top of the cliff and began pushing their way through the snow.

Pushing past the snow to the edge of the cliff, Uraninite found a strange and terrifying scene below them on the beach of the Chord shore. There was a strange cube of what appeared to be gold, huge and far to perfectly angular and carved to be natural, and just beside it was Antarcticite, looking like they were trying to pry it open. Above them out to sea was a disappearing Lunarian Sunspot, likely destroyed by Antarcticite, while another sunspot to the right of the first was appearing, its Lunarian contingent ready with arrows drawn and aimed at an unready Antarcticite!

"Antarc, move now!" Uraninite screamed at their loudest as soon as they say the Lunarians let go of their bowstrings.

Uraninite had joined Antarc on a number of winter missions while the others Hibernated, and it showed when they leapt to the side as soon as they heard Uraninite's voice. An arrow still struck them in the lower side, shattering their waist, but Antarc could still move as they hit the ground.

"Antarc? Antarc!" came a voice from, what Uraninite thought was the golden cube of all things. Was there someone inside? Was it a Gem of Gold? Would they be called a Metal instead of a Gem?

"wait, I have to focus on what is important," Uraninite muttered as they moved their head to the side and dodged a Lunarian Arrow, much to the clear surprise of the Lunarian's, all of whom where now looking at them with bows raised. "That's right aim at me and pull out your Javelins," Uraninite muttered as they took a deep breath and drew upon their innate energy, only to let it out in surprise when the Lunarians all shot their Arrows. Drawing on their energy the crystals covering her arms expanded further as they knelt down and felt the arrows strike their makeshift shield with a chuckle. "I guess they don't recognize me. I must have been gone for more than just a few decades this last time, huh?"

The immediate answer to Uraninite's words was another Barrage of arrows striking their barrier, one arrow breaking through at a thin edge to their left.

"huh, guess not," Uraninite muttered as they stood up and drew on more power, shaping the growths around their arms into what almost looked like the halves of a very long bowl or vase, placed the two sides together in front of them pointing at the lunarian Vessel, and grinned. "Time to remind you of the name that Pad gave me. The light of the Morning!" they yelled as orange and pink flecked light formed in the depths of her creation, and the seared out of it like a lance with a sound not dissimilar to that of a roaring inferno.

The beam vaporised everything before it, and when it stopped there were no Lunarians left. Seeing no foes, and the odd golden cube starting to bend and melt, Uraninite released her power, causing the massive crystals they had grown to shatter into pieces and fall off her arms leaving them as bare as they had been before. They then took a step forward to look over the cliff for away down.

And promptly fell forward over the cliff to crash down into a rather sizable snow drift, leaving a Uraninite shaped hole in it.

"Ugh, dammit, I really used to much energy, when I didn't, really, have it," Uraninite muttered as they felt their vision growing dark from drowsiness, a clear sign of being low on energy. "I really, hope I wake up in, the school, or I'm going, to throw a fit!" they exclaimed before blacking out.

* * *

The sound of wind rushing through hollow halls brought Uraninite out of unconsciousness in an instant, their eyes flashing open to see a high white ceiling of stone. A glance to the sides found a hallway, and a very tall wall of wooden shelving, both confirming their location to be the school, and more precisely the repair room and Rutile's usual haunt.

"Oh thank whatever Gods might exist!" Uraninite exclaimed as they sat up and kicked their legs over the table to get off, and to their surprise they found their legs powdered. Looking themselves over with a small nearby mirror they found their face powdered as well, while their arms were not, just like they liked it.

Jumping off the table with a loud clack, Uraninite walked out of the room to look for others, their feet clicking on the floor with each step, as Gems tended to do. It did not take long to hear voices from the main hall, and in barely a minute Uraninite came in to see two gems standing in front of Kongou. One was Antarcticite, while the other was a green gem with odd banded legs and arms that looked they were made of melted cheese. Not that other gems would know what that was.

"I'm sorry, I let my guard down and it could have been my end, but I was . . .worried, about Phos," Antarc stated in a very clearly downed tone that reminded Uraninite of a kicked puppy.

So they decided to announce their presence, both to help Antarc, and to give Kongou the good news! Stepping further into the main hall the click of their shoes caused Kongou, Antarc and the green Gem to all turn just in time to see Uraninite stretching their arms above their head with a smile. "Morning! Thanks for the powder Kongou, its nice to look normal again!"

Both Gems looked at Uraninite in surprise, though for very different reasons, while Kongou simply smiled and was the first to speak. "You are very welcome, Uraninite. And it is good you have returned again when you did."

"Uh, yeah, sorry for not coming back sooner," Uraninite said with a scratch on the back of their head. "How long have I been gone for this time?"

"two hundred and ninety five winters you have missed. It is good that you are back with us."

"Oh damn, that's the longest I've been gone yet. Sorry, it shouldn't happen again. It should be done with now!"

Kongou's eyes went wide as he, much to Antarc's surprise, walks over to Uraninite and wrapped his arms around them, speaking quietly so that only they could hear him. "I see, so you have made your choice and your work was effective then. I am both sorry, and grateful for you."

"Yeah, I am too, but I made my choice," Uraninite responded as they parted from Kongou's embrace.

"Ura? That is you, correct?" Antarcticite asked carefully, confusing the green Gem further.

"Yep, I'm back! For good this time. Sorry I was a bit to slow to help you earlier," Uraninite said as they turned to Antarcticite and smiled.

"Do not apologize when you saved me and Phosphophylite from being taken. We need to thank you after all," Antarc said coolly, before the smallest fraction of a smile split their face. "Its good to see you again."

"You as well," Uraninite said with a smirk. "first time I've greeted you with a command and a shattering though huh?"

"I am still thankful for the warning, otherwise that arrow may have struck me further up."

"True, I'm just glad I made it in time."

"So am I. How long will you-"

"Seriously, stop ignoring me!" the green Gem suddenly cried out as they walked over, pouting as they stated at Uraninite. Their arms dragging across the floor like a slimy mass. "can someone tell me who this is at least? I don't recognize them."

"You likely do not not recognize them as you were only five when they last were here, and it is possible you lost the memory when you lost your legs. Phosphophylite, this is Uraninite," Kongou introduced simply.

"Wait, phosphophylite? That cute green gem?" Uraninite asked, causing Phosphophylite to take a step back at the word cute. Though they did nod to Uraninite. "Wow, a few hundred years did a lot to you! What happened to your legs and arms?"

"Err, well, I kind of got eaten, and-"

"Uraninite, why don't we go and catch you up on the years you have been gone for?" Kongou suddenly suggested with a calm smile.

Uraninite looked at him for a few seconds before an expression of realization plasters their face, making them turn to Phosphophylite and bow. "I'm sorry about that, when I come back I'm too inquisitive for my own good sometimes!"

"Um, okay . . but, what do you mean when you come back? Where have you been that I've never seen you?" Phosphophylite asked as they looked at Uraninite with a curious and distrusting gaze.

"Ah, that is, difficult to explain as-"

"Antarcticite can explain it as they know it to you, while the two of you rest, Phosphophylite," Kongou spoke up. "And when I am done speaking with Uraninite, we can begin going over how to deal with the Gold alloy that is now your arms."

" . . . . alright I understand," Phosphophylite conceded begrudgingly.

"Good, then we will speak later," Kongou said as he turned and led Uraninite away and out of sight.

Both Antarcticite and phosphophylite stood there for a few seconds before Antarcticite heaved a sigh and walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, gesturing for Phosphophylite to do the same. So, you do not recall Uraninite?" Antarcticite asked as soon as Phosphophylite sat down.

"No. I remember the name being mentioned once or twice by others in passing I think, but I don't think they gave much of an answer. And if I had met them, those memories must have been lost with my legs," Phos stated with an annoyed huff.

"I see. Uraninite is a Gem who is a little bit older than you, I think."

"You don't know how old they are?" Phosphophylite asked.

"They don't know how old they are, not for sure," Antarc stated with a sigh. "They have a habit of disappearing randomly, and for a number of years at a time."

"Wait, they disappear? Like being taken by the Lunarians?"

"No, they quiet literally disappear without effect. It happens once in front of me. One minute they are there, the next they are gone and don't return for 10 years,"

"just like that?"

"Just like that," Antarcticite confirmed with a nod. "I know that they and Kongou at least know something about it, but neither have ever spoken of it as far as I know."

"Oh, I see," Phosphophylite said before being silent for a few moments. "How old do you think they are then?"

"If counting the time they have been gone for, somewhere between three and seven hundred. If not counting that time, then a bit younger than you probably."

"Really? They feel, I don't know, older?"

"They do, yes. Uraninite has, as far as I know, always seemed and acted older than they are, and they supposedly learn very fast. They are also like myself or Cinnabar, as they have particular, abnormal qualities."

"Abnormal . . .ah, do you mean that beam of light that took out the Lunarians?! " Phosphophylite asked in sudden realization.

"Yes, that was their work," Antarcticite confirmed as they rubbed a spot on their side. "If they had not called out when they did, the Lunarians would have hit me higher up, probably around my shoulders or neck."

"Oh. . . sorry, for being stuck like I was," Phosphophylite said as they looked at the goopy masses that were their arms. "Do they usually appear back at such times?"

"Uraninite?"

"Yes. Seems convenient that they came back when they did," Phosphophylite stated, wondering if they had some kind of connection to the Lunarians.

"No, it's the first time they have returned at such a time. They've normally reappeared during the spring of summer, this is the first winter that I know of where they have reappeared."

"Oh. That's weird," Phosphophylite said as they stared up at the ceiling in silence for a time before a question found its way out of her mouth. "What are they like?"

"Uraninite?"

"Yes. They seemed very happy to be back, but sad from the idea that I don't recall them."

"Well, they are as you saw, and a very good partner to have in combat, but I cannot tell you how they act with the others, for obvious reasons."

"Oh, right."

"I can say that they have a Hardness of 5.5 and have little to no cleavage, so normally they would not be very strong, but their innate abilities allow them to be far more durable than normal."

"How?"

"Their body can grow more of themselves out of itself, usually centered on their arms and usually into large hand like structures they have called gauntlets. They can also expand it to form shields, and I've even seen them form a sword of their own material coming off an arm. Though it broke rather easily."

"Where does it go then? Does it just, go back in?" Phosphophylite asked curiously.

"No, it just brakes off when they are done with it, turning into regular mineral. And no it does not effect their memory. Sensei believes that since it is formed by their energy it does not take their memories into it."

"So they can grow defensive material, and shoot light? Sounds convenient,"

"Yew, but if they get hit past the growths they are only a 5 hardness. It also uses a lot of energy it seems, as firing those beams can tire them out quickly."

"So that's why they fell off the cliff then?"

"Yes."

"Huh. . . . is that light of theirs good for us?"

"only if it is not aimed at us. Sensei once explained it to me that to energy they produce in small quantities if fine for us, but directed at us is just as dangerous as Cinnabar's silver poison, perhaps more."

"We'd need to chipped if hit by it?" Phosphophylite asked nervously.

"No, apparently it could outright melt us where it hits, and it would need a lot of work to replace our limbs if hit. Rutile once told me that their gauntlets can heat up and glow, and that they would have a similar, though lessened, effect on us," Antarcticite said as they looked to see Phosphophylite leaning away with a scared look on their face.

"That's, terrifying! I'm surprised they don't hide out like Cinnabar does!"

"They can choose when to have such effects happen, though it is affected by their emotions,"

"So don't make them angry, " Phosphophylite said before heaving a sigh and looking at their arms of goop. "I hope Sensei finishes talking with them soon. I really want to learn how to control these!"

"Be patient. I'm sure they will not be long."

* * *

Uraninite followed Kongou out of the main hall and up staircases within the school to its highest level, to the irregularly shaped and domed room that was Kongou's study and meditation room. Kongou took a seat on the small raised platform that was in its centre and faced the side so that Uraninite could sit. And as soon as they did he spoke up.

"So, you made your choice and returned to us. You said that your work was successful and you would not disappear again. I take it the . . spell, was successful then?"

"Well I'm here aren't i?" Uraninite said with a smile. "I didn't faint either. I went ahead with the spell, cast it, and then woke up here feeling better than ever!"

"That is good, but I must ask, are you sure you are fine with this?"

"I am, yes. There were only a handful of people I will miss, but I know they will be better off without me around to drag them down. I have a place here where I belong, whereas I did not really have anything like that in that other life. I made my choice, and I am happy to be here for good!"

"I understand. As long as you understand, and are happy, then I shall be happy for you. And while I am at it I will say that while I am happy for you protecting Antarcticite and Phosphophylite, you should know better than to utilize so much of your generated energy that you lose control of your body and the ability to stand."

"Uh, yes, I'm sorry. I will try to not do that again. If a third sunspot appeared I would have been in danger too," Uraninite admitted with a slightly downcast expression.

"As long as you understand. Your abilities due to your radioactivity are very powerful, but you must remember that there are downsides and dangers to them as well. The plants and animals are sickened from radiation, and other gems can be seriously hurt from it as well in extremely high densities. You must be careful and know when to use your abilities, and when to use just your knowledge and skills."

"I'll try to work on that," Uraninite conceded with a nod.

"Good. Now then, as to events of importance while you have been gone. Heliodor was taken from us some twenty one years after your last being here."

"Damn, that sucks! They were fun. Another reason to hate them," Uraninite muttered, though their tone was far from hidden from Kongou.

Kongou did not comment however and continued. "You have seen the other most of note event, that being Phosphophylite's legs, and now her arms."

"Yes those legs are clearly not their originals. What happened for them to be lost?" Uraninite asked, their tone a mix of curiosity and seriousness.

"A series of events that I did not foresee as possible to come to pass," Kongou admitted with a sigh. "A huge snail was dropped by the Lunarians. It ate Phosphophylite, forcing them to be chipped out of its shell afterword's, and allowing them to understand the language it spoke. It then led her into the sea, to an ambush by the Lunarians."

"The snail was a mammal-form Admirabilis, wasn't it?" Uraninite asked in a knowing tome as they rubbed their forehead in exasperation.

"Yes, though I did not realize it at the time due to their size being able to fit in my hand when I saw them. They were from the sea, but made a deal of some sort with the Lunarians for a family member."

"I'm surprised they tried it considering what I did to them the last time," Uraninite commented before removing their hand from in front of their face. "What happened next then?"

"From what Phosphophylite recalls, the deal did not go fully as planned and the Admirabilis escaped with them, then deposited them on the beach with a pair of pieces from one of their shells that were made of Agate."

"Hey, we ruined you and almost sold you like a slave to your enemy, but were sorry, here's something to replace your legs you lost!" Uraninite said in a mocking tone before growling. "Idiots, as if that would be an appropriate apology. Do I need to go remind them who the mortal ones are?"

"You do not need to. It would serve no true purpose," Kongou said carefully, as if trying to calm Uraninite down.

"I guess not," Uraninite said before taking a deep breath. "Alright, so little Phos comes back with no legs, Rutile does her magic and they work. Is that accurate?"

"It is, yes. The Agate allowed them speed enough to impress Yellow diamond, but it was difficult to control for them."

"Okay. That doesn't explain why their arms are goop though."

Kongou nodded, making it clear he was about to get to that. "Perhaps due to the energy the Agate gave them, they could not fall into slumber with the others. They requested to assist Antarcticite, and while doing so lost their arms to the floes, seemingly able to hear them in a more understood fashion than most."

"Ah. And when Antarc couldn't get their arms back, they hoped to find something at the Cord shore to replace them as they felt responsible. Then the Lunarians reared their ugly heads, and then I came over."

"That is correct."

"Goodness, that is just . . . . how long ago did they lose their legs?"

"Just this last summer," Kongou replied simply, making Uraninite sit there for a few seconds with their mouth hanging open in shock.

"That's worse than I was for causing trouble with my disappearances and radioactivity combined!" Uraninite exclaimed loudly, recalling all the trouble they got into with the others when learning.

"Phosphophylite is energetic and open to challenge despite their hardness. Their heart and mind is strong."

"Which led to being eaten, their legs being now made of Agate and their arms made of . . . . what are their arms made of anyway?"

"Malleable Gold alloy. I believe it is networking itself through their body and will be able to strengthen them greatly if they learn how to properly manipulate it."

"I see. Is there anything else I should know of that happened?"

"Nothing so major that it cannot wait to be learned of on your own by reading or speaking to the other Gems when spring comes. Many would likely enjoy catching up with you."

"I'd enjoy catching up too, but it'll have to wait until they wake up," Uraninite said with a sigh.

"Yes, the energy generated by your Radioactivity makes it difficult for you to hibernate with the rest after all."

"I'm used to it," Uraninite said with a shrug. "Since its winter I'll help in the duties for it like usual and look forward to the spring when I can tell everyone that . . ah,"

"Is there a problem?"

"No, not really. I'm just . . . . I won't be disappearing again, and I want everyone to know that, but I'm not sure how to tell everyone," Uraninite admitted nervously. "Do I just say it's been dealt with, or do I tell them everything, or do I not? I, I'm just not sure."

"That is something you will need to decide yourself. I will respect what you choose, and assist in whatever explanation you decide to give though," Kongou stated simply, though his words gave far more than his tone sounded like it would.

"Thank you, that means a lot," Uraninite said as they stood up and stretched their arms above their head. "How long is Antarc out for from that hit?"

"They will be fine by tomorrow so their shards can rejoin fully."

"And Phos needs to learn to control that blob on their shoulders. Alright, I think I'll check my rooms shape then see what needs to be done around the school. I'm sure Antarc has gotten most of it, but I'm hoping they missed something!"

"It is possible. If you would like, your knowledge in using your ability may be of use in teaching Phosphophylite as well, if you believe yourself up to it."

Uraninite smiled. "I think I could give it a shot. I need some kind of excuse to get to know them after all!"

* * *

Sheffield, Human familiar to the Void mage Joseph, King of Gallia, walked briskly down the halls of the Gallian castle, intent on finding her master and giving him the reports she had just recently acquired. It did not take long to find him in his study looking over an ancient artifact of the void with a cursory eye.

"My lord," Sheffield said calmly, pulling Josephs attention away from the artifact on his desk and to her. "I have a report of interest for you."

"Then come in. What do you have for me my dear?" Joseph said as he gestured to her.

"Tristains Void mage, or the one we believed to be their void mage, has been found dead at the magic academy. The cause appeared to be suicide."

"Oh, what a shame. That will slow my plans some. When did she die?" Joseph said, his tone mocking and almost happy sounding, as if I was not his problem.

"It is rumored she committed suicide after failing the springtime familiar summoning ritual," Sheffield stated.

"That was almost 2 weeks ago. Why are we only finding this out now?"

"The information was suppressed. We only found out when we did due to Warde's, who was supposed to take her as a wife when she finished school, when he was told."

"I see. We will need to look into who claimed her void magic then. Please look into it, focusing on nobles with second or third children, that is usually who manifests void magic," Joseph said, his tone commanding and powerful.

"I will see it done, sire," Sheffield said as she took a step back and hesitated.

"There is something else?"

"Yes, Warde's asked me to pass on two pieces of information. The first being that in four days, two now, he would be heading to Albion on the crowns mission to retrieve the Queen's letter."

"Good, I hope those fools in Reconquista show me a good war! What else?"

"He also tells that the Princess Henrietta has been acting odd since the death of the youngest Valliere. They apparently were close, and he believes it would be easy to kill her in her current mindset if that was part of future plans."

"Hmmm, it would be easy yes, but hardly entertaining. Pass the orders to him that nothing is to change, and that I look forward to seeing him soon."

"Very well Sir, I will see to it that he receives your words, " Sheffield said before briskly and elegantly walking out of the study.

Joseph chuckled to himself a moment later, imagining the crying form of the Princess of Tristain. It was surprisingly cathartic!

* * *

In a closed chamber underneath the castle in the capitol city of Tristain, Tristania, the Princess of the country stood before the largest circle of magic she had ever seen. It glowed constantly from the amount of magic in it, and the colors shifted constantly making it hard to look at. Yet look at it she did, or perhaps more accurately she was looking at a single stone of Green Malachite that sat in the centre of the circle, a single symbol carved into it. It was the very same stone that Louise had used to run to that place in her dreams.

And it was an absolute requirement if she was going to bring her back home!

After a few seconds of silence she took a breath and picked up the long white oak staff she was using for the ritual and slammed it to the circle as she began, a serious expression plastering her face. "Now, let's begin!"


	3. Chapter 3

Agnes De Milan, Chevalier of Tristain and captain of the Musketeer squad stood at the side of the room and watched as Princess Henrietta stood in front of the ritual circle and changed. Her tone was low and the words almost alien and barely discernable as old Romalian. Very old Romalian.

The words made the circle glow and pulse in ways that seemed wrong and made the air strange, but just as the last four times when she finished speaking the magic circle became dull with nothing spectacular or magical occurring.

"So again it does not yet work," Henrietta said with a light sigh before she looked across the room. "Headmaster Osmond, did you perhaps see a difference this time?

Old Osmond as most people called him was the Headmaster of the Tristain academy of magic, and arguably one of the oldest and most experienced mages in the country. He looked his age, but aside from being a pervert was still considered very wise. He knelt down to the circle and looked it over for a few seconds before standing and stroking his beard. "The spell appears to be correct in its execution, yet something is not occurring, or perhaps inhibiting the spell from finishing."

"I see. . . do you think I am perhaps considering the notes improperly? Or perhaps I am not conceiving a large enough area when imagining the spell?" Henrietta asked, seeming completely calm despite her failure.

"It is certainly a possibility, but as Knowledge of void magic is so old, it would be difficult to be sure, your Highness."

"I see. Then I shall change my approach tomorrow!"

"Your Highness, are you sure repeating the same spell daily is a good idea? " Agnes spoke up in a worried tone. "I worry for your health, and with your coronation upcoming . . ."

"Thank you for your worry Agnes, but I am fine. With each casting I feel my control improving, so you need not worry about me," Henrietta said surely as she turned to the door and stopped must shy of touching it. "Headmaster Osmond?"

"Yes, your Highness?"

"I would like to thank you again for coming and staying here at the he castle to assist me in this ritual, and in learning how to properly command the founders magic."

"Of course your Highness. It is the least I could do for you," Osmond replied politely.

"Yes, considering that it was you and your faculty who were incapable of realizing why Louise could not do magic, which led to her leaving, it is the least you could do!" Henrietta said with venom in her tone as she opened the door to leave. "I am sure that with the situation as it is you would not wish to impede my intentions. We will try again tommorow."

"A-as you wish your Highness," Old Osmond said just before Henrietta turned and left, closing the door behind her and leaving Osmond and Agnes in the ritual chamber. "Ah, I'm getting to old for this," Osmond muttered after a few seconds of silence as he turned to a nearby table and leaned on it.

"Has anything been found, Osmond?" Agnes asked as she walked around the room to the table, her face filled with stray hope.

"Thankfully yes. Mr Colbert sent me a missive from the academy stating that he found some information that is useful to the situation."

"Thank the founder! What did he tell you?" Agnes asked in relief.

"Well it is merely information, but it does answer some questions for us. He states he found a book that explained a common occurrence with the Founders magic in that it manifests normally in the second or third children of powerful mages."

"So the third Valliere. But how does that-"

"I was getting there," Osmond said, stopping Agnes from continuing. "He also mentions that the book mentions that if a Void mage disappears it is not uncommon for someone close to them to gain the Void magic. It also states that if one who has royal blood in them gains the void magic, it has a habit of changing them in some way, usually by amplifying or removing emotions or emotional concepts."

"So that is what happened," Agnes said in a combination of sorrow and disgust.

"Yes, it likely is," Osmond commented with a sigh.

"Was there anything else? Anything about, Familiars?" Agnes as she rubbed the back of her gloved left hand anxiously.

"Not explicitly, no," Osmond replied before turning to face Agnes. "May I ask what emotions you believe The princess may have lost or had amplified?"

Agnes was quiet for many moments before she shallowly nodded. "I believe sadness or sorrow, though I cannot guess what may have been made greater with the way she is now acting."

"Yes, that feels accurate."

" . . .did you impede the princesses spell?" Agnes asked suddenly.

"By channeling a small amount of mana into it, yes," Osmond answered.

"Why?" Agnes asked, surprisingly not sounding angry.

"I am worried about what the princess intends. The young Valliere spent almost four months according to her diary preparing and researching. The circle she used as well was less than a meter across. The princess is using a circle nearly twelve times that size and has slightly altered the runes for a reason she will not tell me."

"Why is that bad?" Agnes asked.

"Ah, I forget you are not versed in magic rituals, though few are. A rituals circle decides how much magic can be pushed into it, which decides the power of the spell," Osmond explained.

"So with the princesses circle being larger, the spell would be stronger, correct?"

"Yes. Unfortunately the size amplification is not a simple matter. If the young Valliere circle was a twelfth of this size and moved just herself and nothing else to that other place, I fear this circle would move far more than just a person."

"what makes you think that?"

"Experience," Osmond said seriously as he gestured to the circle. "The magical circle for the familiar summoning ritual is almost this size, about a third smaller, but it is such a size because it is comprised of multiple spells. The amount of power she has so far out into this circle worries me for what the effect could become."

"Then we will have to council the princess of such. Even if her emotions have been changed, she is still the same girl. I am sure she will listen to council!" Agnes said assuredly.

Osmond however was not so positive as he mumbled to himself not being heard as Agnes moved to leave the room. Once she had left and the door closed behind her, began tidying up for a while before he found himself staring at the youngest vallieres diary on the table. "I am sorry girl. By hiding your magic I hoped to protect you from those of the nobility that would take advantage of you. Yet I only caused more pain for you, and now my choices cause even more worry. I hope the place you went is truly a good home where you are happy. And I hope the princess does not succeed in dragging you back here, lest the situation becomes even more complicated, for all of us."

* * *

Uraninite stared out at the sea of flows, and the very obvious sizzling line burned into them, and smirked before taking a seat on the top of the cliff, letting the excess crystal over their arms break away into the snow. The resulting steam that came away from them was oddly calming, and almost drowned out the cries and yelps from Phos behind them, who was working with Kongou and Antarcticite on controlling their gold alloy.

Uraninite was watching for Lunarians while also vaporising Floes because it turned out that their Radiation did not play well with Phos's alloy. Or perhaps it played too well as it made it more malleable. Enough to make then turn into a lump of goo on the ground, the alloy within them unable to harden and provide structure or support.

Uraninite turned around to watch just in time to see Phos plant their face in the snow they had probably just moments before let grow out of their feet. Their alloy was extremely versatile in how much it could expand itself. Of course until they learned to control it, it was only comical to watch and would hardly be useful in combat.

"Heh, not like I was that good at combat when I started getting taught either," Uraninite muttered to themselves as they turns back to the ocean and stared out at it, letting their memory wander.

* * *

***flashback***

"Good, you are improving!" Euclase said with a calm smile as they parried a swing Uraninite made.

"in swordplay maybe," Uraninite said as they held up their blade, looking at the closer end of the blade near the handle that was starting to turn a pink tinted orange in color. A bad sign considering the blade was made of stone. "I still can't control my radioactivity that well, and as soon as I get into the swing of it I start heating the blade. This one hasn't snapped yet, but . . . ."

"Now enough of that, you will never get better if you do not continue to try, no?" Euclase said as they lifted their blade, a calm invitation for Uraninite to try again.

"Alright, here I come!" Uraninite declared as they moved toward Euclase again and swung their blade down at them. A quick parry pushed the blade away, forcing Uraninite to try a horizontal swing. At least that was the feint they tried, shifting it into a simple thrust instead.

Euclase appeared to see it coming and moved to the side and flicked their blade up, catching Uraninites.

And unfortunately causing the blade to snap at the bottom where it connected to the handle, right where it had been glowing from their radioactivity.

"Ah, dammit!" Uraninite swore as they threw the handle of their blade to the ground in annoyance, the core of their arms starting to ever so faintly glow orange, showing their anger and annoyance even more clearly.

"Oh, oh dear."

Uraninitie looked to see Euclase pointing out to the plains and followed their finger. The first thing they saw was Bort walking out on patrol with Diamond. The second thing they saw was the blade of their sword twirling through the air. Right towards Bort.

"Oh, no, Bort!" Uraninite called out, a second to late, but perfectly in time to the blade striking and bouncing right off of Borts head.

The wind stopped as if afraid as Diamond covered their mouth in surprise, while Bort turned their gaze toward Uraninite and Euclase. Very, very, slowly.

"I'm going to run," Uraninite said very matter of factly, all the glow from their previous annoyance completely gone.

"That is only going to make it worse," Euclase said calmly. "If you apologize I am sure Bort will understand."

"Uraninite!" Bort roared at the top of their voice as they began storming in their direction.

"I'll apologize when they don't look like they want to break my legs again," Uraninite said as they took a step backwards towards the school.

"You know that was an accident, right?"

"I do. . . I'm still running though!" Uraninite said as they turned and began running towards the school.

"Get back here Glowy!" Bort screamed, making Uraninite run even faster into the school, quickly turning down halls to try to find a place to hide.

"Oh, Uraninite what is-"

"Cant talk, running for my life!" Uraninite said as the ran past Jade and up a flight of stairs to the second floor.

"Where are they?" echoed Borts voice from below.

"Uraninite went that way," responded Jade.

"Traitor!" Uraninite called back unintelligently, causing the sound of Bort running up the stairs to make them rush down the halls faster. They needed to get away until at least Bort had calmed down. Could they hide in their room? No, Bort would find them. The beat plan was probably to climb out a window to get back out to the fields around the school. Luckily there was a window around the corner at the end of the hall!

Only Uraninite turned to early and found themselves through the doorway of someone's room. There were great big bookshelves covered in wooden cases, crates of wooden branches and logs on the floor, and what appeared to be molds of some kind. The rooms owner was also standing behind a table with pieces of stone and a mold on it, looking at Uraninite curiously.

"Sorry wrong room I-" Uraninite stopped as they heard Bort behind them yelling their name. "I'm sorry, please hide me?"

"Behind the shelving right there," the black Gem said as they pointed to a gap between the shelves and the adjacent wall.

Uraninite immediately rushed over and squeezed into the small area, making sure they could not be seen. Right before the clack of feet announced Borts presence.

"Something wrong Bort?"

"No… you haven't seen Glowy, have you Obsidian?"Bort asked.

"Who?"

"Sorry, Uraninite."

"Oh, I think someone ran past a moment ago, but I didn't look," Obsidian answered Bort.

"They must have gone for the window and climbed out then. Thank you. Uraninite get over here!" Bort yelled as they ran off.

Silence reigned for a good minute after the sound of Bort running and yelling disappeared. only to be interrupted with a question. "Uraninite, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Uraninite said as they ca e out of their hiding place and looked at their savior. "Its Obsidian, right?"

"It is. I think we've only spoken once before when Kongou introduced you to everyone."

"Err, sorry about that, and thank you for covering for me,"

"Its fine. And don't worry about not recognizing me. I'm normally up here so I don't go out a lot," Obsidian said with a smile. "So, why are you running from Bort?"

"Uh . . . . Euclase is teaching me the basics of combat, but I keep breaking the swords. When I broke it the blade flew over to the field and hit Bort in the head."

"That explains it. So you are the one breaking all of my blades," Obsidian said.

"Your blades?" Uraninite asked curiously

"Well I am the one who makes all of them for everyone. And makes more when they break or repairs them" Obsidian explained calmly as they pointed to what appeared to be a barrel of swords with their handles pointing to the ceiling.

"Oh, uh . . . . sorry," Uraninite said as they recalled how many swords they were responsible for breaking. It was more than just a couple. Quiet a few more than just a couple.

"it's alright, it gives me more chances to make everyone's blades better," Obsidian said with a soft grin. "May I ask how you have broke so many though? Your not trying to sharpen them on your hair like Bort used to, right?"

"I don't think I have the hardness for that, " Uraninite deadpanned as they looked around and sat down on a closed crate across from Obsidians work table.

"Oh? What is your hardness then?" Obsidian asked as they leaned on the table curiously.

"Five point five."

"So your not much higher than I am. There's no way you should be able to break that many swords with that toughness normally then."

"why?"

"Because I make the blades and my toughness is five."

Uraninite looked at Obsidian for a few seconds before it suddenly clicked. "Wait, the blades are made out of Obsidian. Out of you?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I can selectively melt and regrow parts of myself if have the energy, essentially making more of myself when I do. Its how I make the blades for everyone swords," Obsidian explained as they showed Uraninite an example, extruding glowing obsidian out of a finger into a small mold. Once it cooled they pulled it out, revealing a small knife like the one Rutile used for harvesting plants. "Just like that!"

"That's . . do you not lose memories?" Uraninite asked in wonder as they took the knife from Obsidian and looked it over.

"Not when making more obsidian. If I get broken I still would lose memories, but since I'm usually in here I don't have to worry."

"Wow that's . . . . kind of like me in a way," Uraninite said as they looked down at their hands.

"Oh, how so?"

"I have Radiation. Kongou explained it as an energy within myself that generates itself. With it I seem to be able to grow crystal out of myself and heat things but its hard to control, and I think its why I keep breaking swords," Uraninite explained simply as they could.

"Hmmm, can you show me with that knife?" Obsidian asked curiously.

"I can try, but I have mostly been learning not to use the ability, so I don't know if I can," Uraninite warned as they held the knife in one hand and tried to use their ability. For a few seconds nothing happened, and then their hand and arm started to glow inside a odd orange color. Then small parts of their arm started to grow and expand irregularly.

"interesting. How long does it take to warm the blade normally?" Obsidian asked.

"Uh, I think it should be already, " Uraninite said as they looked at the knife blade in confusion as it wasn't glowing at all.

"So it normally Happens fast? "

"Well. If I get exasperated when training, which has been happening a bit, it occurs over time, but I'm forcing it, so it should be glowing already!"

"Hmmm. Oh, put that down and pick up a sword, okay?" Obsidian suggested suddenly.

"Okay?" Uraninite replied as they out the knife back on the table and walked over to the crate of incomplete swords and picked up one by where its handle would be. In barely a second its handle was orange and the glow was traveling up the blade, only for the blade to fracture and break in half a second later right at the handle area.

"They break like that, right?" Obsidian asked with a smile.

"Yeah, but how did you know it would break?" Uraninite asked.

"I didn't, but I had a hunch when the knife didn't get effected by your energy. Because I make the blades out of myself I have to let them sit for a while otherwise the small amount of inclusions in them can do strange things."

"Like what?"

"Like trying to fuse with everyone else's hands, " Obsidian said sigh a small, barely audible giggle. "I learned that early on, so probably only Yellow Diamond remembers that little problem as it almost happened to them."

"That, is a strange idea," Uraninite said as they looked back at the knife on the table, looked at their still slightly glowing hand covered in crystal growths, and sighed. "I wish I could control this better. It takes forever for the heat to dissipate, and if I break off the growths when they are glowing, they keep glowing until they explode."

"How long does it take to go away?"

"Sometimes an hour, sometimes longer. Long enough that it makes things difficult because I can't touch anything while its like this," Uraninite complained as they sat back down, being very careful not to touch anything with their glowing hands and arm.

Obsidian made an odd face for a few seconds before grinning and walking around the table, holding their arm out proudly. "Grab my arm!"

"Uh, okay?" Uraninite said as they reached lit to do so with their not glowing or grotesquely crystal covered arm, only for obsidian to pull their arm away.

"No, use the growth covered one, while it's still glowing!"

"What?! But I can't! You could get hurt! If I touch another Gem with my Radiation I could damage them so bad they could need a limb replaced completely!"

"How do you know that?" Obsidian asked curiously as they held out their arm again.

"K-Kongou. He said that radiation can change the color of some Gems or alter their properties. And with how strong my radiation is, and my lack of control, I-"

"Then you just need to learn how to control it!" Obsidian said as they grabbed Uraninite's glowing hand and out their other in their palm, forcibly closing it on them.

"Aaaaaaahhhh, what are you doing!? Stop it!" Uraninite cried as they used their free hand to try to remove Obsidians from them, only to find that they had a better grip than expected.

"Nope, not until you –"

"I don't want to hurt you or anyone else due to my inability, so please let go!" Uraninite pleaded, their eyes closed and expression pined as they tried to struggle out of obsidians grip.

Then due to the struggling of both, Uraninite fell off the crate and onto the floor, and Obsidian landed on top of them. "You need to calm down. Look, I'm fine!"

"What?!" Uraninite exclaimed in shock as they opened their eyes to see Uraninite straddling their body, and both of their hands and arms perfectly fine. "H-How?"

"Well, I took a chance. I figured something was up from the knife not heating when it was newly made, and I guess being that we can both grow more of ourselves without losing memory I guess I hoped I'd be immune. And it looks like I am!" Obsidian declared as they ran their hands down their arms, showing off how there was nothing wrong with them at all before climbing off of Uraninite and offering a hand.

Uraninite very slowly took Obsidians hand with their still glowing one and let themselves be helped up, staring at Obsidians hand immediately afterword. "you are really immune to my radiation?"

"Seems so!" Obsidian stated as they walked halfway around the table before stopping. "Hmmm, I wonder if it is because of my make up?"

"Your make up?"

"Yeah, obsidian is, Sensei explained it as a glass that forms when hot liquid rock hits water. My make up is a bit different than the other gems in that way."

"Kongou said something similar to me too," Uraninite exclaimed in surprise. "that I was more mineral and energy than the other Gems."

Both Uraninite and Obsidian looked at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into a short fit of laughter.

"Oh, were so similar yet this is our first time really talking, that's pretty bad," Obsidian said first.

"Well, Kongou has been teaching me a lot. How to suppress my ability and more recently starting in how to use it."

"But you still can't control it well?"

Uraninite shook their head in clear annoyance "No, its easier to supress than use."

"Hmmm, then why don't I try to help you!" Obsidian suggested after a few seconds of thought.

"What?"

"Well we both have different than normal make ups, and I'm immune to your radiation. Since my ability has some similarity to yours too, wouldn't it make sense to see if I can help you?" Obsidian asked with an oddly sly grin plastering their face.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous though? I mean, what if you are not immune? What if I-"

"It will be fine," Obsidian said with a wave of their hand. "We can talk to Sensei about it and get his blessing."

"Okay, but what do you get out of this?" Uraninite asked curiously.

"I can't do this out of good intent?"

"You could, but the only ones I'd expect that from would be Dia or Euclase."

"Not sensei?"

Uraninite shook their head. "No, he feels too. . . . . well he keeps secrets, and I'm not sure what he's thinking. So what are you getting out of helping me?"

"That's fair. As for what I'm getting, it would be information, ways to make everyone's swords stronger and better!"

Uraninite sat for a few seconds before nodding their head and standing up. "Alright, let's see what Kongou has to say!"

***Flashback end***

* * *

The sound of Phosphophylite yelping brought Uraninite out of their thoughts, turning to see them flailing around in the snow like a golden green blob as Antarcticite stood there shaking their head.

Uraninite let out a chuckle as they turned back to the ocean, their thoughts returning to the memory they had just been considering. "Heh, if I hadn't hit Bort I probably wouldn't have met Obsidian that day. If I hadn't met them, I wouldn't have met Cinnabar either, or have gotten either of their help in mastering my ability," Uraninite figured before letting out another chuckle. "I'll have to see where Obsidian may have put my sword. I should try to not be rusty if they want to out on patrol when they wake up once spring comes!"

* * *

**Notes by Kibble: so first off, flashbacks are not something I really have experience with in writing, and I have mixed feelings about them. I've seen them used well, but I've also seen a lot of them that were essentially useless or did not contribute to the story. So I apologize if the flashback is not amazing.**

**Secondly, Obsidian does indeed have the ability to 'extrude' parts of themselves to make the blades, but it is not delved into in the manga as far as I am aware. I just added to the ability in a way I thought made sense.**

**I could say more, but I'd rather see what people bring up or think of things before denying people that fun, so I hope everyone is liking this so far.**

**The next chapter, as I am planning, will be a serious game changer, so look forward to it!**


	4. Chapter 4

Uraninite watched from under a tree as Phosphophylite destroyed the core of a Lunarian platform with their sword, causing it to begin to dissolve into nothingness. It was an impressive feat because they were atop a thin and almost bramble like growth of their gold allow that had lifted them all the way up to the platform and protected them from the arrows. As they turned away, a Lunarian who had fallen off the platform posed their knocked arrow at Phos.

Phos moved their head and dodged it easily, but doing so shifted their balance and made them lose it, falling over and plummeting down toward the ground, only to be caught by Kongou while Antarcticite soared into the air and cut the Lunarian in two.

"Very good. You understand how to feel and manipulate your alloy, now you must work on keeping your balance while doing so," Kongou said as he put Phos gently down on the snow.

"I'll work on that, Sensei," Phos replied quietly.

"Considering your not a blob in only a few months, you're doing very well!" Uraninite exclaimed as they walked over with a smile. "It took me almost three decades to fully understand my abilities and even longer to get to the skill I have with them."

"Please do not forget those few decades of almost melting everyone with those beams of yours, myself included," Antarcticite spoke up as they walked over, a large crack running across the left side of their face.

"Antarc are you okay? Did you get hit?" Phosphophylite exclaimed in worry as they ran up to Antarcticite.

"Their fine, it's just too warm," Uraninite said as they looked at Antarcticite with a slightly sad look. "Isn't it?"

"Yes, spring seems to be coming stronger and faster this year," Antarcticite said with a nod, clearly confusing Phosphophylite.

"You may have forgotten with the loss of your original arms, but Antarcticite has a unique makeup in that the colder it becomes, the more solid they become. The inverse is also true, and the warmer it gets, the harder it is for them to maintain their shape," Kongou explained simply.

"Oh. So what happens to you when it gets too warm?" Phosphophylite asked curiously.

"My body will lose much of its density and turn into a liquid , during which time I am asleep. I will then awaken when it gets cooler again," Antarcticite explained as a crack suddenly, and very audibly formed across the length of their right arm from the elbow down.

"Uh Antarc, your cracking more!" Phosphophylite said in worry.

"It is warming quick, it seems this season's winter is a small bit shorter than normal. Let us return to the school, there is much to do," Kongou said as he turned and began leading the walk back to the school.

The trip back was uneventful, what with the sky being clouded, though light would occasionally shine through to pierce the snow or the quickly muddying ground. Once at the school however they had to get to work.

Windows and their shutters had to be checked to make sure they were not iced shut, halls had to be made sure they had little to no water anyone could slip on in them, and the supplies cupboards had to be checked. All this was in addition to the usual jobs of pushing the snow, what little remained, away from the school entrances.

Doing all of this took nearly three days to do properly, all the while the weather getting warmer as the snow continued to melt, along with Antarcticite's ability to keep up their usual speed.

"So, what happens now?" Phosphophylite asked Antarcticite as the two of them sat on a bench in the school, all the before spring repairs and setup complete.

"Normally I would now consult with Sensei to make sure there is nothing else to be done. Then, if it is time I would go wake up Jade before going to sleep myself, or I would just go to sleep and Sensei would wake everyone up if the temperature is too warm for me to continue being up," Antarcticite stated simply before sighing. "Which is looking to be the case this season."

"That, sounds pretty boring," Phosphophylite stated, causing an uncomfortable silence to reign for a few moments. "So, it's like this every winter for you? Just working in the snow and the floes, and then going to sleep without seeing anyone?"

"Yes, though the times when Uraninite is around they stay awake during the winter as well."

"Why? I mean, why do they stay up with you when they could sleep? I think I only couldn't because the energy my legs gave me after all."

"Yes well, Uraninite cannot sleep during the winter. They wake up every few days all on their own they've told me, because their body creates most of the energy they need. You noticed how they have less difficulty in the deep snow than either of us did, right?"

"I did wonder about that. I mean, they walked so fast and made such a perfect path for us!"

"Their energy creates heat, so in the winter they allow a bit to escape and it melts the snow around them. That's why from some angles in the cold they look like they would glow, because they were and the glow was from their ability and the heat it generates."

"I see," Phosphophylite said as they leaned their head back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. "Its strange."

"What is?" Antarcticite asked, having barely heard Phosphophylite's mumbling.

"Uraninite. I mean, they are so . . . . .," Phosphophylite paused and sighed. "they are strong, confident and have such useful and powerful abilities, yet before this winter, I had never heard their name even muttered by anyone. It's just strange I mean. Why would no one even mention them at all over all those years of my life? Was it worry I'd tried to emulate them or something?"

"No, I don't think its like that," Antarcticite said as they leaned forward, placing their arms on their lap. "I think it's more like how most of them don't like to mention those who get taken by the Lunarians."

"What?"

"When someone gets taken, it makes everyone feel differently, but the reality is that they are gone. Uraninite, they have the odd strangeness that they disappeared at random for uncertain amounts of time, as I mentioned before. I think, it makes it hard to mention them, because no one knows when they could come back, or if they will."

"Oh. . . That, makes sense I guess. Where are they anyway?"

"I believe they asked Sensei to speak to him in private for some reason."

"Oh? Now I'm curious! Let's sneak over and try to listen in on them!" Phosphophylite exclaimed with a devious grin.

"We are not spying on Sensei," Antarcticite said seriously.

"Fine, then I'll do it myself!" Phosphophylite pressed with a grin as they stood up. Only to get bopped on the top of their head by a bundle of tied together sticks.

"That would be difficult as we are done talking," Uraninite said with a grin, holding the sticks and resting it over their shoulder. Coming up behind them was Kongou, wearing his ever present neutral expression.

"Darn it," Phosphophylite muttered as they rubbed their head. "What are the branches for?"

"Just something I'm going to bring up with Obsidian after everyone is awake," they explained with a shrug, right as the sound of cracking echoed out from Antarcticite's direction.

"I think I'll need to sleep, Sensei," Antarcticite stated as they held their disconnected left hand in their right.

"It would seem so. Is there anything else you need to do?" Kongou asked calmly.

"No, everything aside from the wake up chores are done. So, uh, may I?"

"Of course," Kongou replied as he spread his arms out, prompting Antarcticite to move up and hug him.

"Good night, Sensei."

"Good night. Sleep well, and I will see you next winter," Kongou said as they parted.

"Of course," Antarcticite said before turning to Uraninite.

"Hold that thought Antarc, I'll walk you to your room," Uraninite said abruptly, surprising Antarcticite and Phosphophylite. Though Antarcticite simply nodded before the two of them began walking off.

Narrowing their gaze at them, Phosphophylite moved to follow them, only stopping when Kongou placed his hand on their shoulder. "What Uraninite is speaking to Antarcticite about is about their past disappearances and is a topic that is difficult for them to speak of. They plan on telling everyone when they are awake."

"So why can't I go listen then?"

"They are telling Antarcticite first because they will be asleep when the others are awake, but also to prepare themselves for telling everyone else. It is something they have kept secret since their first day among us, and are both anxious and worried about doing so."

Phosphophylite looked at Kongou curiously for a moment. "You know what they are talking about?"

"I do."

"So what are they talking about?"

"I have kept their secret as long as they have. Be patient Phosphophylite, you will learn it when they tell everyone."

"Fine!" Phosphophylite said with a long drawn out pout.

"It is warm outside, so I believe waking everyone today would be prudent. Could you go to Red Beryl's room and bring down the box of everyone's spring clothing?"

"Okay. Will you be waking everyone while I'm getting them?" Phosphophylite asked.

"Not as of yet. It will need to be decided whom is to awaken everyone due to your changes, and Uraninite's Intentions," Kongou said as Phosphophylite ran off.

It did not take long for Phosphophylite to come back with the crates of everyone's spring clothing, and just as they finished changing their own clothes Uraninite came back with an oddly content and relieved look on their face.

"I assume your talk with Antarcticite went well?" Kongou asked politely.

"Yes it did," Uraninite said with a smile. "I believe I am as ready as I can be to tell everyone the truth,"

"I see. Would you like to awaken everyone then? You have historically left the waking to myself or Antarcticite, but if you would like to you may."

"I," Uraninite stopped and seemed to think to themselves for a moment before looking at Phosphophylite. "Do you want to wake everyone, or would you rather not so you can talk with Kongou about your arms?"

"Oh, I never thought about that," Phosphophylite admitted as they seemed to think on the idea for a few seconds. "How would I explain this?"

"Uraninite, perhaps it would be best for you begin waking everyone up and greeting them, so that I may speak to Phosphophylite and help them decide how to explain their situation?" Kongou suggested.

"Alright, I'll go do that," Uraninite agreed as they walked off toward the hibernation room, leaving Phosphophylite to Kongou's tender words. It didn't take long to get to the hibernation room, as it was one of the largest rooms on the bottom floor and also had the largest door in the entire school. Actually it was one of the only doors, but that was because Gems did not feel the need for privacy like humans did. The only Gems that actually had doors on their rooms where Obsidian, Red Beryl, Peridot and themselves, and the only reason they did was in case of accidental radioactive discharge in their sleep.

Not that that had happened in a long time.

Reaching the, quite admittedly oversized doors to the Hibernation room, Uraninite pushed one of them open until it was wide enough for them to enter through. The hibernation room was dark, the windows covered by their shutters and then covered by the huge lengths of cloth that hung down from the ceiling and across the floor in all directions. Pillows and extra layers of blankets and sheets were all over the floor, not to provide comfort but to make sure no one broke anything if they turned while hibernating, or rolled into someone else.

Taking a look around at everyone in their very overblown works of Red Beryl, Uraninite silently thanked the fact she couldn't hibernate due to her radiation, and then walked to the side. There, where she recalled it being mentioned in the past, was a thick rope that was tied to a system of pulleys that then connected to the sheets on the wall and the shutters as well. Without any hesitation they yanked on it until it came loose, causing the upper most curtains to fall from place to the floor, and the shutters to open up.

Light spilled into the room like the water from a broken dam, illuminating every piece of white cloth and clothing to such an extent that it was almost blinding.

"uuhhnn, is it spring? Antarcticite?" Jade asked as they hesitantly sat up and looked toward the door, still apparently rather sleepy, yet first to awaken.

"Spring has come a bit early, so Antarcticite went to sleep earlier today." Uraninite said, figuring their voice would be recognized, but walking over to the door and pushing it open a bit more with their foot so some more light could come into the room.

"Uraninite, is that you?" Jade asked, clearly not sure if they were awake or not.

"Yeah, I'm back," Uraninite said before smiling. "For good this time!"

"What?! What does that mean?" Jade demanded to know as they climbed up from the ground, their sleeping clothes making it clearly more difficult to do even with now being fully awake.

"Well, it'd be hard to explain quickly, so I'll explain when everyone is up," Uraninite said as they took a step back from Jade, who was glaring at them.

After a few seconds Jade relented and let out a sigh. "Alright, help me wake-"

"Ura!" Uraninite and Jade turned to see Obsidian struggling to get up due to being tangled in both their clothing and a wrap of cloth and pillows. Their face was a cross between livid and ecstatic as they tried to free themselves, only to fall forward onto a pillow and groan in frustration.

"Hehehe, here, let me help," Uraninite said with a laugh as they walked over and knelt down beside Obsidian, pulling away the wraps of cloth to help them get untangled.

"300 years. You were gone for almost 300 years this time, Ura," Obsidian said solemnly as they sat there while Uraninite untangled them.

"Yeah, it was . . . A long time this time," Uraninite replied quietly, slowing their pace of untangling a bit. "Sorry, it won't happen again. And now, I can explain it. All of it," Uraninite added.

"You mean, why you disappear?"

"Yeah. It won't happen again, and I can explain it. All of it. I'm not keeping any secrets anymore from anyone, especially not you Sidi," Uraninite declared seriously as they finished unwrapping Obsidian.

" . . . .no more disappearing?" Obsidian asked quietly.

"No, not anymore," Uraninite restated with a nod.

Obsidian said nothing as they lunged forward and began hugging Uraninite tightly, as only they could. Normally gems suddenly colliding was bad for both parties unless they were twinned Gems, but the two of them did it often, and while it looked like Obsidian had collided into Uraninite, they in reality had not collided hard at all.

"Did Phosphophylite wake up early? I don't see them," Jade spoke up while Uraninite hugged Obsidian.

"Err, well, Phosphophylite was awake and working with Antarcticite when I came back. And some stuff happened."

"What do you mean?" Jade asked seriously. "What happened?"

"It would be best for them to explain it," Uraninite said as they gently unwrapped Obsidian from them, though they still looked like they were going to cry. Not that Gems could. "Let's wake everyone up, then both myself and Phosphophylite can explain everything."

Both Obsidian and Jade nodded before the three of them began the arduous process of waking everyone else. Sometimes it was easier than others. Sometimes everyone woke up easily, other times it took longer, and sometimes some would wake up suddenly, awkwardly, or accidentally violently. This was one of those times, and after almost being decked in the head by three Gems, one of them being Bort who immediately began yelling at Uraninite, finally everyone was awake, changed into their spring uniforms and met in the main hall.

Normally when waking up everyone met Kongou in the main hall to hear if anything of interest had happened during the winter, and that did happen. However Uraninite's words, having passed quickly among everyone as they woke up, and Phosphophylite's strange appearance as they stood partway behind Kongou, had everyone anxious to discover what exactly was going on. After all, Phosphophylite was usually first to sleep and last to awaken, yet they had supposedly been awake all in winter, and their arms looked, strange.

Unsurprisingly the situation pertaining to Phosphophylite's arms was the first topic to be brought up. How they lost their arms to the flies and gained gold alloy was simple to explain, while having everyone not acting very leery and nervous about the arms was more of an issue, as they way their arms could move was very different than Gems were used to seeing in their fellows.

"Calm yourselves please, " Kongou spoke up, causing the spooked gems to return promptly, though they still kept some distance from Phosphophylite or were clumped in groups. The only ones who did neither were Yellow diamond and Obsidian, the latter as they stood by Uraninite. "Phosphophylite merely has had some change but it is no reason to be afraid. It will take time to get used to their new arms, just as it has taken time for them to get used to it."

"Of course, there's no reason us to fear one another!" Diamond stated seriously, making many look a bit downcast by their actions, despite Diamond having done the same and moved away when Phosphophylite had showed off the morphing ability of their arms.

"Sensei, I have a question. Was Antarcticite responsible for helping choose what would become Phosphophylite's new arms?" Rutile asked curiously as they took a few steps closer to Phosphophylite and leaned over to look at their arms. Though from almost a meter away.

"They did assist in the search, yes," Kongou answered simply.

"Then I have no issue with it," Rutile said as they stood straight up and smirked. "As long as I can look into their ability of course."

Phosphophylite shifted behind Kongou more and glowered at Rutile. "Quack doctor."

"Oh? Perhaps I should grind away that attitude the next time you break yourself," Rutile said with a grin as they pulled a large File from somewhere in their clothing and held it like one would a knife.

"Sensei, Uraninite mentioned something odd, are you going to explain it?" Benitoite asked curiously.

"I will provide confirmation to their words, but will not explain it myself unless they wish it. This is something that Uraninite wishes to tell everyone together, and on their own," Kongou said as they looked to Uraninite and gestured for them to step forward.

Giving a reassuring nod to Obsidian, Uraninite stepped forward and turned around to face everyone but Kongou. "Hey, I'm back, again. I know my disappearances have always been, odd or strange and, hard to deal with, but they won't happen again. I know just saying that won't mean much on it's own, so, I'm going to explain, everything, and I know some parts of what I am going to say may sound, outlandish or even absurd, but all I ask first is to explain everything before I answer any questions. Okay?"

Almost everyone gave nods of confirmation, varying in intensity, aside from Bort and Rutile, who stared on awaiting the information. Something they began giving immediately.

Uraninite began right at the start, telling how they had been living as a human in another world, how they were living two lives, and so much more. Magic, culture, their work to make themselves stay on the island over their human life, they went over all of it leading up to the now, and when they finally were finished, silence, and the odd stares of the other Gems reigned.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yellow Diamond spoke up first. "So, you were a human, a flesh and blood being that could be our ancient ancestor, and you used that, magic, to make sure you could stay here with us, where you were happiest, right?"

"T-that's right," Uraninite confirmed, worried about what Yellow Diamond could say next.

"Then it's fine,"

"Yellow, are you sure? I mean, uh," Alexandrite began to say, stopping as Yellow Diamond nodded and spoke again.

"I'm sure. It doesn't change who Uraninite is, it just explains a bit of their weird word choices over the years."

"I suppose, but how can we be sure they speak truth?" Bort asked as they looked at Uraninite head on.

"I don't believe that Uraninite would lie to us, especially since Sensei knew, right?" Diamond asked as they looked to Kongou hopefully.

Kongou nodded. "Uraninite has long confided in me their situation, and while it took some time, we were able to prove their stories truth in some facets with knowledge I long ago claimed, and that they found in their other life to compare to my own."

"So, does that mean there is another island somewhere? " Zircon asked curiously.

"Not that I have discovered," Kongou answered simply before providing an odd explanation. "The place Uraninite used to reside is a different celestial object, a different world, like our own, but located far away, or perhaps is a dimensionally shifted location."

"Uh, what?" Phosphophylite asked in utter confusion.

"It is in a place that none in these lands, including myself, could reach, so it is of no issue to any of us," Kongou clarified.

"Well, Uraninite could, right?" Morganite asked.

"Uh, no, I can't. The, ability I had in that life is not something I can use in this one," Uraninite answered a bit awkwardly before smiling. "I should be here to stay, and to not disappear ever again!"

"How did you do it though? Coming here and leaving your other life behind I mean," Jade asked, seeming rather calm about the whole thing.

"I used a, magic spell, and made it accurate by carving a number of stones and-"

"Oh, you mean those green stones?" Alexandrite interrupted suddenly.

"Yes, the Malachite I was carving over the years, was all to make me not disappear again," Uraninite explained.

"You were carving those for a long time, how many did you carve?" Obsidian asked next.

"Over the years I successfully carved thirty seven of them, and then buried then all over the island," Uraninite said just before the entire building began to shake for a few seconds, making everyone lose their balance but Kongou, and making a green stone fall out of the stone rafters above them.

"What, what was that?! The whole school was shaking!" Someone called out, though no one was quite sure who.

"An earthquake, the shifting of seismic fault lines, something this world has long since not had," Kongou said as he helped Phosphophylite, who was closest to him, up off the ground.

"But, if their not supposed to happen, then why did that just happen?" Diamond asked as they noticed the green stone that fell from the ceiling and picked it up.

"Small, unnoticeable quakes to most people have heralded Uraninite's return each time," Kongou stated as the stone in Diamonds hands began to glow and hum.

"Wait, that's how you always knew I had come back?!" Uraninite asked in surprise.

"Yes, however-"

"Um, Uraninite, this is one of those pieces of Malachite you carved right? Is it supposed to glow?"

Uraninite turned to Diamond, their eyes widening in horror. "Destroy it!"

"What?" Diamond asked in confusion, likely more confused by Uraninite's tone that their words.

"Toss it up I the air, Bort destroy it!" Uraninite screamed, causing Diamond to throw it as ordered, and Bort to suddenly smash it into fine pieces out of the air, the pieces scattering all across the floor.

"Glowie, explain, now!" Bort ordered.

"Sorry, but it shouldn't have done that! If it glowed like that, then, oh no!"

"What, what's wrong?" Euclase asked.

"I, my memory wasn't perfect in my other life, so I had to write down things to make sure I couldn't forget them, and so the ritual I did would not have mistakes in it. I, I think someone is trying to cast the same spell I did. But that shouldn't even be possible!"

"Because they would have to be a Void mage as you had been, correct?" Kongou asked.

"Yes, but as far as I knew, I was the only one. No one had seen one in thousands of years, and for non-Gems that is a lot of time!"

"You said that time between the two places was different right?" Rutile asked. "Then could not have a much longer space of time passed than you thought? Maybe they became more common?"

"Its possible but," Uraninite stopped as another tremor, smaller and not enough to make anyone fall, but enough to be felt, shook the school. "No, that doesn't matter, the other gems have to be broken! If they are broken the spell will fail!"

"but what will it do if it happens?" Jade asked.

"I, I don't know, it could bring someone here, drag me back or-" Uraninite was stopped as suddenly another shake happened. Only this time it didn't stop after a few seconds, and this time, the floor began to crack with blinding energy. The very stone of the school seemed to scream, and then everything was overtaken by an all encompassing light.

* * *

"Your highness, I must state again that this is not the time to be dabbling with a little understood spell!" Old Osmomd said as he followed the princess and Agnes into the ritual room again. The attempt from two days before when he had been essentially caught inhibiting the spell was still fresh in his mind, but he still hoped that would be overlooked considering the circumstances.

"I understand your words Headmaster, however this is the perfect time to do the ritual one last time," Henrietta declared as they entered the ritual room, it having been left exactly as it had been the day before when she, instead of doing the ritual, decided to instead reinforce the circle with magic.

"I apologize your highness, but I do need to agree with the headmaster. As important as this ritual is to you, the defence of Tristain is more important. We will only have so long to prepare for Albion's invasion, and the disappearance of Count Wardes will set back our aerial ability as it is," Agnes said, her tone professional the entire time as she walked to her usual position in the room by the door, shutting it tight.

"Thank you for your opinion Agnes, however I know what I am doing. I am sure I will succeed this time, and then we shall gather the army and prepare to defeat Albion and their corruption once and for all!" Henrietta said seriously, her tone hard, with no mercy in it at all.

"Very well, as you command, my Queen," Agnes said, signaling her acceptance, but also making Henrietta flinch slightly at the title.

As soon as war was declared on their country her mother had had enough, and ceded the throne to her. She shook her head, removing the various unkind thoughts of her mother before looking at Old Osmomd. "I will now begin, and you will not touch the circle at all while I am doing the ritual, is that understood Headmaster?"

"Of course your highness. However it is a requirement of my station to inform you that, even with how much power has been out into this ritual circle, a single person powering such a large ritual will be difficult and you may not have-"

"My power will be sufficient," Henrietta stated, stopping Old Osmomd from continuing.

"Of course, your highness," Osmond said with a defeated tone as he took a few steps back so he was clearly away from the circle. Try as he might to stop things from going out of control, it seemed the changed Princess, now Queen, would not allow anything to get in the way of her desires. Osmond was beginning to understand why it could be considered a good thing Void magic had been thus far lost.

"Good. Now the, I shall begin!" Henrietta declared as she slammed her staff into the circle and began channeling her will through it whilst muttering the rituals words under her breath. In bare seconds the whole circle came to life, lit like a golden sun with flames of green licking up away from it, as if trying to torch the very ceiling. It grew greater and greater, far beyond what it had previously, until the very room was quivering with magic power. The floor began to crack, glowing energy of the same color pouring out, the ceiling cracked, dust falling from it, and finally, the Gem of carved Malachite that served as a catalyst cracked and shattered into a pile of dust shaped like a crescent. In that same moment all of the magic power in the room simply disappeared without any discernable effect whatsoever.

Everyone was silent as, for a few seconds it looked like Henrietta was going to scream, but then she simply let out a long breath and turned to Agnes. "Agnes, please send word to the army and those nobles who shall be leading contingents that we shall be leaving Tristania as soon as I have donned my own armour."

"Right away your highness!" Agnes replied as she quickly opened the door and marched out to do as commanded.

"Headmaster Osmond," Henrietta began as she turned to look at Osmond. "Will you be returning to the Magic Academy now that your assistance with this matter is no longer required, or will you be joining the army?"

"I'm afraid such marches would do nothing good to these old bones. I shall return to the Academy to continue teaching the children who have stayed."

"Very well, then I wish you safe travels. I will be leaving to lead our army in victory against the corrupt fools who thought they could attack our fair Tristain and get away with it. And if I find the ones personally responsible for Wales death, I shall make them regret ever being born!" she grimly declared before storming off through the open door.

As she stormed down the halls, heading for the armory where some handmaidens and soldiers would be awaiting her, Henrietta could not help but try to think why the ritual did not work. She had made sure everything was perfect, had practiced the words, and had made sure that Old Osmond could not get in the way this time! The ritual looked perfect, more powerful and awe inspiring than any previous time, yet it still failed, and worse yet, the gem, the catalyst, had turned to dust. She couldn't try it again, she had no more chances, she had failed, herself , the Vallieres, and Louise.

She had had failed them all.

"Founder, why did it fail? Am I not worthy of your magic? If not, then why do I have it? Why did it fail when I-" Henrietta stopped muttering to herself as she noticed a number of servants and a royal guard standing by a window, looking out of it as if something major was occurring outside. "Is something the matter?"

"Ah, your Highness!" the guard said with a salute while the maids bowed respectfully. "There is a strange light outside, and I was simply curious about it. Such a color is not natural, so I was beginning to worry about it."

"Oh, is it truly so strange?" Henrietta asked as she stepped up to the window and looked out of it, her eyes widening as she say the bright green light coming over the buildings of Tristania.

Immediately Henrietta ran off and, instead of heading for the armory, began ascending the stairs and towers of the castle until she arrived at the tallest tower in the whole castle, what was once her father's own personal study. Standing by the window she could see across all of the Capitol of Tristania and across the rolling hills of Tristain all the way to the distant shores. Albion floated ominously in the distance, and to it's right, close to where she imagined the border of Tristain and Germania were, out on the ocean, was an expanding sphere or green and gold light that seemed to swirl and twirl in on itself like some roiling mass of pure confusion. It was growing at a visibly fast rate, but just as it looked like, from a distance at least, that it would touch the landscape itself, it suddenly began shrinking. It became half of its size, stopped for a time, and then to her shock exploded outwards, sending flashing waves of energy out away from it. The energy waves that struck the land kicked up massive blasts of debris, likely tearing the shores asunder, and just as Henriettta thought it could not get more terrifying, a flashing wave of energy struck Albion, and the floating island seemed to crack in half and begin to fall.

Before she could witness Albion hit the water though, the shockwaves began to hit Tristania itself. The whole city shook and buckled. Buildings of wood had their roofs and upper floors ripped right off, buildings of stone had their roofs cracked and their shingles thrown and windows shattered. carriages and horses were thrown down streets, and she could hear the screams of death and pain below her. Her attention however was momentarily fixed on where the sphere of energy had been, for now it was gone, and an entire small island was there in the ocean, looking as if nothing had befallen it.

Louise's notes had mentioned that the place she went to was an island. Had she, not succeeded in bringing Louise back home, but in bringing a whole island to Halkeginia? If that was the case it was both brilliant and terrifying . Brilliant because it meant her prowess with void magic, and her ability to cast it were far greater than she had first realized, and terrifying because it meant all the destruction to the city, no, to the whole country, could be considered her fault at least in part.

Picking herself up off the ground from where she seemed to have fallen to her knees, she descended the tower and headed for the courtyard, knowing it would be the most likely place Agnew would be, and upon finding her there as she figured, spoke up immediately. "Agnes, how many of our forces are here right now?"

"Your highness, thank the founder, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Agnes asked in reply.

"I am fine, but how much of our army is here in the Capitol right now?" Henrietta asked again.

Agnes looked at Henrietta in surprise and shock. "Please forgive me your highness, but I do not believe the war with Albion should be our primary concern right now."

"Of course not, the only concern right now is our people. We need the army to act and help evacuate people out of damaged buildings, to help save people and distribute food and blankets and keep the peace while we discover how much damage the city has taken. And as soon as the city is calmed down we need to send forces out to all of our towns and villages and do the same!"

Agnes smiled for half a second before he serious face emerged. "Understood, I'll gather all who I can find that can lead such operations, please wait here for a few minute till I return, as it would be best if you give the orders yourself."

"No, I'll come with you and give orders as we go, we have to act fast to save as many lives as we can, and sitting here will not help with that!"

"I understand, then this way please!"

"Of course, lead on," Henrietta said as she followed Agnes, but found herself looking toward the sea where Albion had fallen, and to where the new island was. "Don't worry Louise, I will bring you home and fix things soon enough. Just wait a bit longer!"

* * *

**Kibble notes : So, I finally got it to this point, and it's been a while coming as I have been giving tiny foreshadowing to this, though it may have been too small so that's on me. But yes, I did not just move Louise/Uraninite back, I did not move Henrietta there, I moved the whole damn island with the school on it to Halkeginia!**

**Because that totally will not utterly shatter the political atmosphere in Halkeginia XD**

**Seriously though, I hope this isn't too jarring or sudden, both because I really like my future plans, but also because I hope you all like where this is going as well.**

**Uh, not much else to say with what I've done and what is coming up, so I hope everyone liked the chapter. Till the next one!**


	5. Chapter 5

Eyes opened to the sight of a familiar ceiling, and upon touching their own face, Uraninite let out a sigh of relief as they sat up and shook their head, a loud ringing ruining their ability to think straight for a few seconds. As the ringing died down they managed to stand up and take a look around. They were in the main hall as before, and everyone else was on the floor unconscious, but seeming to be whole without anyone having any breaks or fractures. Taking a second look over everyone and finding no damage Uraninite took another look around and noticed that there was something amiss in that Kongou was missing.

Walking to the entrance to the main hall that connected to the wing that was Rutile's usual haunt they caught sight of Kongou standing outside staring up at the sky.

Walking out to see what he was staring at proved to be a mistake, as the sky was filled with the celestial bodies of a pair of massive moons, one blue and one pink in color.

"These moons are the ones you once described to me that hung in the sky of your human lives world, correct?" Kongou asked after a few seconds of Uraninite standing on the grass, their eyes locked skyward as his own were.

"They are, yes," Uraninite said as they sighed and hung their head before walking up beside Kongou. "I didn't think anyone who could possibly have access to my journal could ever cast void magic. Even if they could I would have thought it would bring them here if they tried to cast it, not drag the entire island to Halkeginia!"

"It is highly unexpected. Your magic had followed rules from how you had explained it to me before, so I can only assume someone altered the formula in a way that caused this."

"That, really is the only option, but I've never heard of a spell being altered to such an extent," Uraninite said as they sighed again and looked across the fields that surrounded the school. Their gaze began going back and forth, side to side, as if looking for something, making Kongou notice easily.

"Is something amiss?"

"I'm not sure," Uraninite admitted as they looked around a bit more before sighing and turning toward the schools Bell tower. "I need to get higher to see for sure," they stated before running at the tower, jumping at its side, and then running up it, their legs encasing in crystalline talons as they moved, putting ever so slight marks in the hardy stone as they ascended.

Within seconds of being at the top, they let out a gasp of shock.

"You have discovered what was amiss?" Kongou asked calmly.

"Uh, you could say that. I told you about the countries, right?" Uraninite called down in query.

"You did yes. Tristain was between a number of countries with Germania to the north, Gallia to the south and Albion to the west over the sea," Kongou answered perfectly.

"Yeah well, Albion is not in the sky and looks like it has been split in two and dropped in the ocean. The coast of Tristain and Germania looks utterly ruined as well," Uraninite said as they lea down and landed on the grass beside Kongou. "Albion has always floated above the sea in a circular pattern, I can't even imagine what could cause it to fall and split in half like that!"

"So much has then changed from what you knew. It seems likely that much time has passed since you were last here," Kongou said, making Uraninite chuckle a bit.

" Considering how long I was gone from the island for when in my human life it was sometimes just a few days, I think that's fair."

"Karmic perhaps," Kongou mused before turning directly to Uraninite. "Are any others awake?"

"I think I woke up first, after you I mean."

"Likely due to your radiation providing energy to awaken you as it does during the winter. Waking everyone and taking an account of injuries should be done first. Then the islands situation should be discerned as well."

"Uhm, should we explain the situation to everyone as well?" Uraninite asked.

"Once they are awake, yes, they should know of the situation."

"Well I'm not going to explain it while they're unconscious," Uraninite said jokingly as they turned and ran back into the school, not hearing if Kongou had said anything else as they headed back to the main hall.

* * *

The Capitol city of Tristania was normally a bustling city of energy and life where the streets would be full of people, the shops full of customers, and the markets full of life. Instead the city was a labyrinth of chaos and pain. The blasts of wind had caused surprising amounts of damage to buildings and had thrown every carriage and wagon in the city, sometimes blocking roads or causing the collapse of buildings. The wounded were everywhere, and while they did not outnumber the safe and unwounded, they did outnumber the dead.

Luckily the number of wounded was dropping due to the mobilization of the army and every available water mage in the city. Even with every mage, soldier and commoner volunteer however the work was still slow, and in the outer edges of the city, where the buildings were less sturdy, by neglect or choice, it was also gruesome.

"Do we have an estimate of our dead and wounded?" Henrietta asked calmly as bare meters ahead of her peopled were digging through the debris of a tavern looking for survivors buried beneath it.

"It'll probably be days until we have complete numbers, but our current reports say there are over four hundred wounded, and around half that killed or missing so far, " Agnes replied as she let out a resigned sigh when she saw a few people crying over their dead family.

"I see. How is the work progressing?"

"As fast as it can. Everyone is working their hardest."

"I see. How quickly do you think we can safely move some of our soldiers and mages to head out to help in the surrounding towns and villages?" Henrietta asked calmly, her calm among such surrounding horror seeming almost unearthly and just plain wrong.

"General Gramont is leading the armies work around the city, so I would not presume to overrule his intentions, but I believe we could send some groups of elite forces out to help the outlying towns and villages in a day or so. The Gryphon or Manticore Knights would be able to find which places need help the most, so I would suggest they be the ones to be sent out first."

"The gryphon knights yes, the Manticore knights however will be needed soon for another important mission," Henrietta said simply as the two of them walked toward the cities main thoroughfare where the majority of the countries disaster response was taking place.

"Are you meaning Albion, your Majesty?" Agnes asked carefully.

"No, not entirely," Henrietta said, her tone become ice cold for just a second. "While I feel for those innocents on Albion, its destruction may prove to provide us with the time we need to truly prepare for what is left of their forces, or to gain an advantage over them. No, what I am more interested in is the island that seems to have appeared off the coast between ours and Germania's borders. Its appearance was what destroyed Albion and caused all this destruction, so the island itself may have something of value upon it."

"I heard some priests earlier commenting that this could be the will of the founder. When news of that island spreads, it may get out of hand," Agnes stated, realizing what she thought was Henrietta's intent.

"Yes, quiet. If we investigate the island quickly, we may be able to discover the cause," Henrietta explained before glancing around and sighing when she found no one else aside from Agnes within earshot. "I am also worried a out what Germania may now do. With my marriage cancelled, and this sudden, disaster, they may attempt to claim the island, or claim that it was some form of the founder telling them to conquer us if they are prepared for such a thing."

"You think that only Tristain and Albion were struck by this calamity?"

"I do not know what to make of this, but I do not wish to be caught unawares, especially with Wardes disappearance and the destruction of all of Albion. We will need information if we are to choose what is best for our people."

"I agree your highness. I know that the captain of the Manticore knights is not in the capitol, but shall I inform them of their mission and to deliver it to their captain?" Agnes asked.

"Please, I will write official orders for countess Valliere as soon as we return to the castle so that she knows that the orders come from myself and no others."

"Of course," Agnes only said as they continued on, trying to not be slowed by the destruction around them as the sun was falling toward the horizon.

* * *

"Ugh, this sucks!" Uraninite groaned as they laid across a table at the side of the school's upper hall, a room that served as a simple gathering place where they, Obsidian, Peridot and Alexandrite were currently all working.

Obsidian was looking over every sword in their inventory, checking each for damage or nick's to repair or replace while Peridot was lazing around when not delivering paper to Uraninite.

"You are the one who suggested compiling all the information you knew about your old lifes lands in case any of it could be relevant," Alexandrite stated as they picked up a pile of paper and smacked Uraninite's head with it.

"Well, yes. But, I didn't think that Kongou would ask for everything about the land down to people, cultures, governments and the religion!" they replied in exasperation. "I had just meant like, the kinds of animals and the shape of the land. That kind of thing."

"That would not help us if there's still, what were they called, Human, still around though, no?" Peridot asked as they ,leaned over and snatched the pile of paper from Alexandrite, tapped them on the table to fix the pile and then placed them back on the table gently.

"No, no it wouldn't," Uraninite admitted as they remembered the conversation. With Kongou's help they had explained where the island had been moved to,. And while it had not been hard to prove it with only two huge moons in the sky even during the day, the situation was still not good because the landmasses were still far away, and most Gems and saltwater did not go well together. They did not know how much time had passed on Halkeginia, nor could they easily or safely find out on their own. It had therefore been decided, mostly by Kongou, Bort, Rutile, Jade and Yellow Diamond, that a wait and see approach would be best.

That had been three days before. Now in their fourth day in Halkeginia things seemed pretty calm, there had been one rainstorm the day before, but aside from it the weather was bright and sunny, and no Lunarians had been seen even though the patrols around the island were still going.

"Well, you should be done soon, right?" Obsidian asked after a few moments of silence before grabbing a stone and slowly sharpening a blade.

"I wish," Uraninite said as they lifted their head off the table. "I've finished what I know about the climate, the shape of the land and the most common creatures and monsters, but everytime I try to write about any of the countries, magic, or the church," Uraninite shuddered. "I just don't want to continue out of annoyance."

"Why? You said this land has no Lunarians, so what is hard about writing about them?" Alexandrite asked in a very one track way.

"Each country has different rules and is ruled differently, the church is a different entity entirely that, if it still exists, I'm not sure how it would see us, and magic is a whole other problem. I know the lore for how it works, but I'm not sure how any of it would affect us, or if it would at all."

"That would be a problem," Peridot said a nod of their head, as if it was not their problem.

"That in would be good to have if humans are here though," Obsidian commented as they finished sharpening a blade and put it down. "Just think though, once your done we can go on patrol for the first time in a long time!"

"Yeah, that's true," Uraninite said with a slight smile as they picked up their pen and was about to start writing, before letting out a sigh. "Honestly, I hope this information is useless though. No humans being around would be nice, and monsters like dragons probably would not be an issue."

"Why? Are Humans like Lunarians?" Alexandrite asked.

Uraninite felt a pit form in their body as they recalled a conversation they once had with Kongou over what the Lunarians were, and instantly worried what could happen if Lunarians and humans met. It was unlikely though, so they removed the thought from their mind and answered honestly. "They are as bad as the Lunarians, if not worse. They are arrogant, haughty, and fearful of others not like them. They consider themselves greater than others simply because they are told as such, and in the case of the time I came from, listen to people and groups that rarely know what the world is actually like. They are violent to the extreme as well, and not just in terms of being physically violent either."

"Geez, I can see why you want to leave that behind and-" Peridot began to say, stopping when with a flash of light Yellow Diamond rushed the stairs, down the hallway and right up to the table.

"Uraninite, you said that humans could command and fly on beasts, right?" Yellow Diamond asked immediately.

"They could, yes," Uraninite answered, not liking the question or its suddenness.

"There's a bunch of odd creatures, seven of them heading toward the island. When I came back here I could see another similar group coming from another direction as well,"

"What did they look like?" Uraninite asked as they stood up from their seat, knowing where this was going.

"They were far away, but kind of, fuzzy at the front like those caterpillars, with odd segmented tails and big wings that didn't look like a birds."

"uh, were they kind of red in color?" Uraninite asked, hoping they would not be.

"Yes."

"Dammit!" Uraninite swore as they walked around the table, then stopped and turned to Obsidian. "I kept forgetting to ask. Where is my sword?"

"The drawer beneath my bed," Obsidian said as they stood up and plucked the just sharpened blade off the table. "I'm coming with you!"

"You're my partner, of course you are!" Uraninite said with a smile.

"Then let's get your blade and go. Bort and Diamond are out their, trying to watch without being seen," Yellow Diamond explained as the three of them rushed down the hall.

"Yeah, it's sunny out, so I doubt Dia can stay hidden for long," Uraninite deadpanned as Obsidian ran into their room, and a few seconds later came out with Uraninite's blade.

Unlike the blades that the other Grms used, Uraninite's was nearly three times as thick and wide, easily mistaken more as a long club if not for the spikes and shards of Uraninite's discharged growth Crystal's embedded in the two sides, making it look more like an absurd saw blade. For any other Gem, except perhaps Bort, it was unwieldy, but its weight and heft were needed that it would not break due to Uraninite's radiation, and its materials actually became sturdier when containing such radiation, due to decades of work and experimentation.

"That's true. . . . I forgot how dangerous that thing looked," Yellow Diamond commented as Uraninite slung it over their shoulder by a strap. "So, you know what those creatures are?"

"I do," Uraninite replied as the three of them left the s hook as fast as possible and ran across the fields as they continued to explain. "I think they were Manticores, a type of flying beast with claws, a strong jaw and a poisonous stinger tipped tail. They are normally solitary, which means that if there's a group, it's probably a knightly order that uses them as amounts. Meaning humans are still around,"

"And that's bad because of what you said earlier, right Ura?" Obsidian asked.

"Yeah. Thought it may depend on how much time has passed, and maybe what country the humans are from. We'll still need to be on guard though, "

"Of course," Yellow agreed as the three of them came over a low hill and saw a situation that was not fully expected. Behind a large rock outcropping hid Bort and Diamond, while just beyond was not one, but two groups of humans that seemed to be facing off against eachother. One group wore dark red leather armour with accents of iron, mostly pauldrons, while the other group wore only simple leather armour, but seemed far more professional in their stances. Though both groups were yelling at the other very loudly.

"Yellow, get over to Bort and Dia, don't get seen," Uraninite said as they dropped to the ground and motioned for Obsidian to do the same.

"What? But what about-"

"Were dark and can hide in the grass and crawl over, whereas you shine, now move before you get seen!" Uraninite hissed, making Yellow nod and bolt overtop the rock outcropping in a bare second. "Now we crawl."

"You were serious about that, huh?" Obsidian asked.

"Of course. Unless you've gotten fast enough to keep up with Yellow and get over there without being seen?"

"No, alright, I'll follow your lead," Obsidian said as the two of them began crawling through the grass.

The island was fertile, so the only place with large amounts of rock were the cliffs that surrounded the island, meaning the ground was soft and earthy, the grass tall and bright green, and the trek to crawl through it slow, dirty, but also silent, and after a few minutes they were behind the outcropping with Dia, Bort and Yellow Diamond.

"Where have you been Glowie?!" Bort demanded in a whisper.

"At the school, where else?" Uraninite replied before shaking their head. "The two groups, who was first and have you been able to understand them?"

"The bigger ones in red came first, and they would have found us if the other group hadn't landed and gotten their attention," Diamond explained quickly. "We can understand them, but they are yelling over each other so much its hard to understand them now."

"What were they yelling about? " Uraninite asked calmly.

"They said something about a claim of some kind," Bort stated, making Uraninite let out a sigh.

"Damn, their arguing over whose country has claim to the island,"

"What, but it's our island, we live here!" Diamond said in surprise.

"They don't know that, and even if they did, they might still try to claim it," Uraninite said as they stood up off the grass and took a deep breath. "I will go and confront them."

"Well come with you then," Yellow Diamond said as if it was an expected fact.

Uraninite opened their mouth to object, but stopped when they saw that Bort, Diamond and Obsidian had the same looks of surety. "alright just, try not to speak right away,. I'll try to get them to understand were already here without fighting. But if they do attack us, try to just disarm them."

"Why?" Bort asked.

"Because not killing them will make us look better to their other countrymen. Or it should st least," Uraninite said as they came out from the rock outcropping and began approaching the groups with the others behind them.

* * *

Karen De La Valliere, known as the heavy wind to most people of Halkeginia was one of the most supremely powerful Wind mages and the captain of one of the most distinguished forced in Tristain.

She was also very annoyed by the bullheadedness of Germanians, of whom there were seven before her and her squad of knights.

Their mission was simple, to investigate the island that appeared alongside the destructive winds that had destroyed Albion. A mission that was important and simple in theory, now much more difficult due to the appearance of Germanias own Manticore knights.

They were led by some presumptuous whelp half her age who, like many Germanians, seemed to think that the more muscular they were the better they were, and that women did not belong in the army. Which considering that her second in command was the one talking to him, and was a woman, was going about as well as she expected it too. She had hoped to have her second lead the mission as a way to help their training to eventually take over the position of captain, but with a Germanian such as the one before them, nothing was going anywhere.

The Germanian kept going on about how their country would claim this island in glory and whatnot, and no matter what her second tried to say he is only ignored her words, insulted the fact she was a woman or insulted their Reagant. Her second was very strong in not showing her feelings to his words, but Karen could tell that she was starting to reach to end of her willpower.

"This is getting us nowhere," karen muttered as she slowly began reaching for her sword. Until a flash of light reflected into her eye from her left, making her turn her head enough to see what the light reflected off of, forcing her to end her quiet. "Hold creatures!" she commanded as she spun toward the new coming creatures, causing both her knights, and the Germanians to turn in the same direction.

There, now stopped only a dozen or so meters from then were five humanoid creatures that wore what looked like some sort of uniform of black and white. These creatures could not be human however because each of their faces were strange colors like those of stones or gems with hair of a similar shimmer. Their gender was impossible to tell, with having almost workmanlike hips and legs, yet no defining rump or breasts. Four of them had what appeared to be sheathed swords hanging off their waists by a pair of straps, while one who stood near the front had a much larger sword hanging on their back from a strap over their shoulder, it looking like a huge saw toothed monster of a blade far too large for anyone to wield. What was most disturbing however was their size being similar to humans, their expressions seeming almost human, and the way the dark green one with the huge sword somehow looked, familiar.

"What in the hell's are you creatures? Answer me or die!" the Germanian captain roared as he pulled out a pistol and pointed it at the creatures.

Seeming to not fear the pistol, the green haired person took a step forward and smiled. "Greetings, to answer your question, we are Gems. May I ask what you creatures are doing here on the island of our home?"

"Your island?" Karen asked, keeping her good up, but stepping forward, signaling her second that she was taking command.

"Yes, we Gems have lived in this island for thousands of years, so it is ours. What are you doing here?" the green Gem asked, the smile on their face faltering and showing that it had clearly been forced in some way.

Something the Germanian captain seemed to not realize as he took a few steps forward. "you called yourselves Gems. Like the stones? Like diamonds and rubies?" he asked, a small grin appearing on his face.

"Yes that is correct. Now please answer my question. Why are you here?"

"I see, I see. It sounds pretty outlandish, but if you really are made of Gemstones, it looks like well be very rich men before the day is through!" the Germanian captain yelled with a grin as he pulled a short sword out of its sheathe with his free hand and held it to the side. "Surrender and know we will treat you well as our jewelry!"

Karen tensed as she felt the very atmosphere around them change for the worse. Bare seconds before the creatures that called themselves Gems had had neutral or perhaps uncertain expressions on their disturbingly human like faces, but as soon as the captains words left his mouth that changed. The bright yellow Gem looked saddened, the short haired black one and the one that was like a prism looked worried, and the long haired black one and the dark green one both looked absolutely furious.

"You are not welcome here. Leave now. This will be your only chance," the dark green Gem stated while reaching up and grabbing the handle of their absurd blade, tone devoid of mercy and as cold as the grave.

It was in that moment that Karen recognized the Gems voice, and recalled that Gems had been mentioned as some kind of people in her youngest daughters diary. Possibilities ran through her mind in seconds and she quickly came to a decision. Her orders were to investigate the island, and that meant it's people if there were any. "Hold Germanian, these creatures are sentient far beyond simple beasts, and you even consider killing them?" She demands to know, turning go the Germanian captain.

"Ha! They are not human, so what does it matter? The church would not care, so why should any of us. Besides, if they are made of gemstones like their hair looks, think of the money that could be made out of them! Oh, sorry, Germania has already claimed this island, so run off now you Tristanian Harlot. I have Gems to Carve!"

"Why you," Karen began to say, only to stop as the Dark Green Gem rushed at him and drew its blade and swung down at him.

"Whoops!" The Germanian captain exclaimed as he blocked the blade with a smile that quickly was overcome in surprise as the forced of the swing dropped him to one knee, his muscles straining. "Heh, your stronger than you look, but don't get cocky!" he roared as flame wrapped around his blade, then wrapped around the Gem in a burning pyre.

"Ura!" the short haired black gem called as they moved to step forward, only for the Yellow one touch hold an arm out in front of them. "Don't worry, their fine."

"Ha, as if! I have burned stone fortification down, your friend is perfectly cooked and-" the Germanian captain stopped as the green Gems sword swung out of the fire at an angle and collided with his armoured shoulder. For a normal blade, striking armour would deaden its blow and speed, even hammers slowed down when they hit something, but this blade went through from his shoulder down to his opposite waist. And it did not so much cut, as tore it's way through sending a wave of blood and gore out onto the grass while sending his upper torso across the grass with it.

The torrent of fire abated a second later, revealing the Gem standing their perfectly fine, except their clothing had been heavily burned, revealing patches beneath the same color as their hair and face. Their hands, as well as their eyes, appeared to almost be glowing an orangish color, and as they looked toward the remaining Germanians, karen swore their eyes turned red as the flame that had just been engulfing them. "Any who try to endanger us will be our enemies and will not be welcome. Leave."

"How dare you!" one Germanian knight yelled as he drew his blade and took a step forwards, only for the long haired black Gem to suddenly be in front of him, impaling him on a sword that to Karen's eyes, looked to be made of some form of glistening black stone.

"I would suggest you leave, do so and we will not harm those that do," the yellow one said seriously to the Germanians, which after a few seconds called their Manticores and flew off, spouting profanities.

The gems gathered together, the short haired black one almost crying as they hugged the dark green one, making it clear they had come sort of relationship. If such a thing was possible.

"So, what of them?" the long black haired one spoke up, looking at Karen and her knights in a way that made it clear to her that they were professional and very capable of acting on a perceived threat.

"Well, why not ask them the same question?" the yellow one said as they looked to Karen. "So, why are you here?"

Karen took a few steps toward the Gems and bowed, taking her hood off as she finished. "I am Duchess Karen De La Valliere, captain of the country of tristain's Manticore knights. We were sent to investigate this island and its sudden appearance beyond our shores. Not to engage in meaningless violence or subjugation. If possible, I would wish to exchange words with you on your island being here were it now is, and on your, people," Karen said professionally, calmly noting that the dark green one seemed worried and was now inching behind the short haired black one as if trying to hide.

"Your words feel hollow considering the others action, why should we-," the long black one began, only to stop when the Yellow one took a step forward and smiled.

"let's give these ones a chance Bort," it said before looking at Karen and smiling softly in a way that seemed to human. "I am known as Yellow Diamond, and I'm sorry to say, but we are not entirely sure how our home came to be in this place,"

"I see," Karen said, noticing that the one called Yellow diamond, which was absurd because diamonds were not yellow, glanced slightly at the dark green one, who now looked relieved somehow. "May I ask what exactly your kind are? You can speak, however you are clearly not human."

"We already said we are Gems," The one that had been called Bort spoke up, their eyes looking like they were ready to strike in an instant. It was a look Karen understood and knew well.

"I understand. Then may I ask about your leadership? If you are not aware of how you came to be here your presence is still fact, and our reagent may wish to meet your own,"

"I, am not sure what you mean. What is a reagent?"

Karen felt her heart skip a beat. They did not know what a reagent was? How did they control themselves then? Did they even have a culture? She took a deep breath and sighed. "A reagent is a king or queen, in our case a queen, who leads our nation. If you have no reagent who leads your kind?"

"Hmmm, well, Sensei teaches us and is our elder," Yellow diamond said as they tilted their head a bit in thought. "So he is sort of our leader, but also more like a supervisor."

"Are you saying you have no leadership?" Karen asked in surprise. After all, how could you lead the masses without leadership?

"Probably not in the way you are thinking," Yellow Diamond admitted with a shrug. "We all work, and make decisions together for the most part after all,"

"That will make any form of meetings difficult unless your people can decide upon some few to represent your kind," Karen said with a sigh as she looked at the others. " I do have one last question for you, if I may?"

"Only one?"

"Yes, meeting you means that my investigation will be complete and it will be queens decision as to our stance to your kind. My question however is this. You are not human, so what is your stance toward humans?" Karen asked seriously, holding back from asking about her daughter. There would be a time and a place for that, but it was not now. The mission came first. And that meant learning these creatures intentions and, if possible, their plans, numbers and weaknesses.

"We don't really have any. As long as no one bothers or endangers us, we won't bother them," Yellow Diamond said.

"I see. I doubt the countries of Halkeginia will agree to such isolation, but I will pass that on when I report to the queen, " Karen said as she turned and took a step toward her people before stopping and turning her head. "I would also be wary of Germania, they enjoy warfare and are arrogant enough to believe that they always have the advantage. They will return here."

"Thank you for the warning, but we should be fine. They can't be worse than the Lunarians," Yellow Diamond said casually.

"So you have enemies then?" Karen asked with a neutral look.

"Yes, an enemy, though we may be free of them now,"

How unfortunate that you may have traded them for others then, "

"What does that mean?" Bort demanded as they branded their blade menacingly.

"It mean that depending on how the nations see you, will change their stance towards you. My people will leave now and report to the queen, and knowing her she will be interested in peaceful coexistence, and perhaps trade, but that will be a discussion for another, not a captain such as I," Karen said as she turned and motioned her hand in the air, giving the order for her people to call their mouths back from the sky circling above. She did not spare a glance back until all of her forces were in the air, and when she did, she looked straight at the dark green one who was talking with the other four. Then flew off to lead her forces back to the capitol to report the rather, interesting situation.

* * *

"So not only are we in your old world, but time has not changed much at all you say? " Kongou asked as Yellow Diamond, Diamond, Bort, Obsidian and Uraninite, mostly Yellow Diamond and Uraninite, explained what had happened to Kongou while everyone else stood nearby listening.

"Yes, the one leading the one force of knights was my old life's mother, and she looked no older than when I had last seen her," Uraninite said, clearly upset, perhaps even scared, by the fact.

"And what of the other group? You said their was conflict?" Kongou asked he looked toward Bort and Yellow Diamond.

"They clearly were more interested in shattering us and colleagues thing the pieces like the Lunarians," Bort said assuredly.

"They did say things, both did, that makes it clear we will see more of them both likely, for bad or good," Yellow Diamond added.

"Hmm, one who aims for coexistence , and one for conquest. Humans do not change it seems,"Kongou said with a sigh. "We will need to make many decisions it seems, yet we also need information to do so. Uraninite, how soon can you finish compiling the information you believe of greatest importance?"

"Well, I thought I had already, but with time not having leapt as far as we thought it might have, I'll need to re-prioritize my writing," Uraninite said with a heavy sigh. "Give me a few days and I should have everything important down though, as long as I can work straight, and through the night."

"If that is what you need then so be it. For all of us to understand the situation to our best ability, we must know of this place, and what we can expect from it and its people."

"What we can expect is arrogance and politics, as well as violence and fear because we are not the same as them," Uraninite said with another sigh. "What my old mother said is likely true though, we probably will not need to worry about violence from Tristain, just Germania. At least initially."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Rutile asked, clearly curious.

"If the island of Albion fell recently, some of it's people may try to colonize our island. Gallia is also a danger, but not as much as Romalia and Germania. Germania is dangerous because its people like violence, but Romlia is more dangerous because it is the central location of the Brimiric church, and I do not know how they will react to us."

"Sounds like well needed to really know things then. If you need help with your work, just ask," Rutile said, prompting many others to say the same.

Uraninite just sighed. As much as they wanted help, no one else knew what they did, and having someone else write what they could speak would not be an intelligent use of time.

It was going to be a long next few days. And they just hoped they would be boring too, without anything bad happening.

* * *

**Notes: whooo, this ones pretty big too, I wonder if that's a good sign, or a bad one? either way we have another chapter. I'll be working on stories in a back and forth kind of way, so it'll be a bit till the next of this one. on the upside, or perhaps downside due to your views, the next chapter will be very political focused on the nation's of Halkeginia, so look forward to it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Germania – Emperors Hall.**

"You absolutely useless fools!" Emperor Albrecht of Germania roared as he stood up from his throne and threw a mace across the room, it embedding in the floor in front of the squad that was reporting to him.

"B-but sire, that island would have been perfect for-" the head of the group, its lieutenant captain, began to say in his defense.

"I will not hear your excuses!" Albrecht roared, causing the squad of knights before him to cower and step back in fear. "Your orders were to investigate the damage to our coastal holdings and towns, and see if you could discern what used that massive gust of wind, not to invade an island and declare war on its population!"

"But sire, they were some kind of monsters that were not human, and there could not have been many, that island could have be one a perfect outpost for Germania's glory!" the same soldier said, taking hesitant step forward as he spoke. " if we can just defeat them we can-"

"Defeat them? These same creatures that, , according to your report killed your captain and vice captain with singular blows and were unfazed by your captains fires?" Albrecht said with a scoff. "That fool could not gauge the strength of his enemy, and neither can you it seems. We have no knowledge of these new creatures aside from they are strong, can speak our language, and acc ording to your report, are made of precious gems. And now because of your rash and arrogant actions we may be at war with a seemingly new race of sentient beings that otherwise may not have had problems with us. Get to the barracks, I do not want to hear a peep of any of you leaving until I say otherwise, understood!"

"Yes your majesty!" all of them yelled before they turned and made a hasty retreat out of the throne room.

Once they had left Albrecht let out a sigh. His throne room was, admittedly, smaller than those of the other reagents of Halkeginia. It was fine that way though, for as the emperor of Germania all served him, and he did not need to deal with his own Nobility on a regular basis like Albion or Tristain did. He liked his throne room though even if it was small, because it was comfortable for him in its design. Unlike the castles of other reagents his was not made of stone, but solid logs like many Germanian homes. The floor was made of uneven cobbles, while the ceiling was vaulted with logs and decorated with the heads and hides of various animals and blazing torches. It was like the log Mead halls of old, and he liked that about it. He would spend all of his time in the hall, if it wasn't for idiotic fools grasping at history and foolish pride.

"If you sigh so heavily my emperor, your subjects may think you are tired of them."

"Was I sighing so hard?" Albercht asked, not looking toward the feminine voice, and instead staring at the mace he had earlier embedded into the floor in anger, realizing he had thrown it with a bit to much force.

"Hard enough that I could hear it as I neared the door," the woman replied, sounding closer and prompting Albrecht to look up toward her. She was near his own age but looked younger than she was. Her bodies shape was athletic and modest, and her skin and hair were both nearly as pale as the snow that was so common to germania. A black dress that only showed a bit of her ankles, shoulders and neck outlined her body and contrasted her skin, while the small knife sheathe on her hip and her stance showed her skill and prowess in a way only those similarly skilled could see.

"I see, then I apologize Evelyn, I should not allow anyone to see me in such a state."

"It is fine, I would not think ill of you even if I found you crying over the corpse of a loved one."

"As you are the only one, I should worry if that Should come to pass," Albrecht said with a dark chuckle.

"Also be careful of this as well please, while I agree with the sentiment, our relationship would not be well received should it become public knowledge," Evelyn said seriously as she came up beside the throne and lightly bowed.

"Yes, you are right," Albrecht said with a light sigh as he slouched back in his throne. "I was not expecting to see you so early today."

"I had some free time, so I figured I would report to you, and help you vent a bit."

"I see,then please, how is your work going?" Albrecht asked seriously, though he did not stop slouching.

"Of course. My work is progressing well. Most of the common folk are looking upon your reign, and the potential changes, in a very favorable light. Of course, inversely, those nobles that have heard of the proposition are vehemently against it. And with your second son's failed marriage to Henrietta of Tristain, there is more resistance on that front now as well."

"Not surprising, he called it off as soon as he heard about her past love for the prince of Albion. To think an almost decade old letter has ruined what could have been a powerful and great alliance of nations so seriously," Albrecht said with another heavy sigh. "Damnable prideful fool of a son does not realize what he has done."

"Neither do the masses of the nobility. But this is not the time, may I ask what our Manticore knights discovered?"

"An island, north of what remains of Albion. Grassy with high cliffs a single beach and a single structure not dissimilar from a grand hall or church. And populated by creatures that could speak our language and are supposedly made of precious gems, yet shaped like people. The fools tried to take over and had their captain and second killed. With little difficulty if their report is believable."

"Oh my. That is surprising."

And it gets worse, because the manticore knights of Tristain were there as well."

"Ah, so if they are on good terms, they may make an alliance with these creatures, and we do not know their capabilities."

"Precisely," Albrecht said as he straightened his posture. "As such, I would ask you to go there and try to mend relations, try to fix what those fool knights have done, and find out as much about these, stone beings as possible."

"I will do my best, though it seems that will cut into our time together," Evelyn said.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but you are the only one I can trust to try to diffuse this foolishness," Albrecht said with a sigh.

"It is alright, I shall make this mission take as little time as possible while still finding an answer," Evelyn said before kissing Albrecht on the cheek and then walking away from the throne, only to stop and turn back to him. "Oh yes, it seems the Empress has finally talked to your second son today. I expect she will arrive with complaints shortly, so be ready."

"I will be, thank you for the forewarning. Be safe."

"I always am," Evelyn responded before leaving the hall, leaving Albrecht alone with his thoughts. And the knowledge that the Empress would be visiting him.

Which unfortunately happened barely a minute after Evelyn had left.

"Why are our soldiers not preparing to move out?!" the empress hollered as she stormed into the hall through a wide entrance, her overblown and gaudy ballroom gown fluttering behind her as she walked straight up to the throne. She was a few years older than Albrecht and unlike many Germanaian women, her age was visible on her face, the ample makeup on her doing little to hide it, or her slowly but surely deteriorating health.

"And where would we send them when we are not at war?" Albrecht asked calmly, deciding to see how this would go. It wasn't like she would realize he was toying with her after all. Their marriage had been decided upon by his father, and even then she was not the prettiest woman, nor the brightest. She was from a high ranked noble family, but had truly little else going for her aside from an overabundance of excessive pride.

"Tristania of course! That harlot princess of theirs dares insult our boy by pining for Another nations blood, she needs to be punished!" the empress declared as if she herself had just been slighted.

"You would have our national be at war, simply because our son called off a wedding and the unification of our nations simply because he did not like finding out she had a crush on another prince almost a decade ago?" Albrecht asked coolly just to be sure that she knew what she was saying.

"Of course, that harlot clearly did not understand how generous germania was being before. She should have immediately cut all ties to him and declared her love tor our Albert's, but she has not and for this insult she-"

"Loving someone years ago is not a crime!" Albrecht roared, silencing the empress in a second before standing up and looking down at her, in more ways than one. "That alliance was not meant to sully either of our nations, but end centuries of pointless conflict and make us stronger as one, and now because of that arrogant son of ours that possibility is no longer viable at this time. None of it is Tristains fault as all fault lies with our son and you for convincing him that it was a bad idea because of that damn letter. And do not even think for a moment you do not know what I am speaking of woman, I know what you have been up to these past months!"

"What, husband what exactly are you insinuating? " the empress asked in mock surprise, for it was clear she had no ability to hide any of her emotions on her face.

"No, you know exactly what I am talking about," Albrecht said grimly. "Now unless you have something important to speak about, I have work to do that does not require your presence even remotely.

"There is actually," the empress said, her tone as serious as it Could be. "I spoke to our Manticore knights earlier and they told me there is a new island off the coast that is, held by creatures made of precious jewels. Such an amazing amount of jewels would make germania very wealthy very quickly, so I assume there are plans being drafted to claim them for the country?"

Albrecht felt sick at the insinuation , both of harvesting jewels from beings that could speak and were therefore sentient, and at the empresses unsaid hope to acquire such jewels for herself. However he took a deep breath to calm himself down before speaking, as he had already yelled enough for one day. "They were reported to be able to speak and that fool captain tried to attack them and was killed for it. They clearly are strong and could potentially make useful allies, so I sent Evelyn to go and attempt to undo the captains failure and pursue diplomacy."

"What?! How could you even consider such a thing? They are not human, they have no rights to deny us what we desire! They should be-"

"Enough!" Albrecht interrupted as soon as he had heard enough, a disgusted look painting his face. "I will hear no more of such indecency. Begone."

The empress seemed surprised, shocked even, at being called indecent, and scowled. "Very well, I will take my leave. But know this, Germania is the greatest land of all Halkeginia and it is our right to rule all the continent. The people know this, and they will not abide you weakening our glorious homeland!" the empress declared as she stormed off, leaving Albrecht once again to his thoughts.

"You stupid bitch. I have tried teaching you for years that pointless conquering leads to nothing but hatred and destruction, yet you still crave for it despite being unable to cause it yourself. You are a fool, and will die a fool if you keep it up. I'll be sure to see to it."

* * *

**Tristain -Royal castle**

"Your highness, the manticore knights have returned and Duchess Valliere is waiting to give her report," Agnes said as she came into the doorway to Henrietta's room where her hair was being fixed for the day.

"Thank you Agnes, please have her meet me in the study, I will be there presently," Henrietta replied calmly as her maid was just finishing up her hair.

"Of course," Agnes said as she bowed and then left.

"I'm done your highness, do you require anything else?" the maid asked as she stepped away from Henrietta so she could see herself in the mirror.

"No, thank you, I shall be fine," Henrietta stated as she stood up from her chair a little too fast, startling the maid a bit. "I apologize, if you have other work to be done do not worry about me, otherwise enjoy your day," She then said before quickly leaving the room and heading to the study.

Duchess Karin Valliere was one of the strongest mages in all of Tristain, so there was no worry about her having completed the mission, but how the mission was completed, and what it could mean was just as important as her return. And judging from her expression when Henrietta entered the study, it could have gone either way.

"Captain, I see you return unharmed, I take it the mission went well?" Henrietta asked professionally as she closed the door behind her, mentally noting that Agnes was not present.

"As, well as it could have, considering the circumstances, your highness," Karin said as she stood, saluted, and bowed to Henrietta.

"Then please, sit and I shall listen," Henrietta said as she went over to a chair and took a seat across from where Karin had been sitting.

"Very well, then I shall report to you what the situation is," Karin said as she retook her seat. "My knights arrived on the island to investigate to find Germanian knights there intent on claiming the island. Amid trying to speak on equal terms with them a number of strange creates made their presence known to us. They looked similar to humans, but appeared to be made of minerals or precious jewels. They called themselves Gems and stated the island was theirs, while asking our intentions," Karin explained before taking a breath and noticing that Henrietta looked absolutely giddy. "The Germanian captain ignored their overtures and stated he would kill and harvest them for jewelry, prompting One of the Gems to strike first and nearly overpower him. It shortly killed him after being proven to seem immune to fire. Another Germania was killed by another of them before their words and actions made the Germanians leave."

"So you were able to speak to them after I take it?" Henrietta suddenly asked with a hopeful smile. "What did you learn about them?"

"They do not know how their island came to be offshore, they have no dedicated leadership, and they have no particular stance toward humans yet,"

"They have no leadership?" Henrietta asked curiously.

"They have some sort of elder it sounded like, but they made it sound like they made choices together, so no, they have no set leadership,"

"That will complicate any form of dealings with them. Was there anything else you discovered? Do they have names?" Henrietta asked, seeming hopeful.

"Of the five I saw, one introduced themself as Yellow Diamond, and another was referred to as Bort."

"Odd, I've never heard of a gemstone called that, and I've only heard rumors of diamonds that had yellow streaks in them. Which one spoke to you?"

"Another who was a very dark green in color," Karin said simply while keeping her expression neutral.

Henrietta nodded in understanding before smiling in a way that did not suit her. "Was it her?"

"Pardon?"

"I'm sorry, I should have been more specific," Henrietta apologized before looking Karin dead in the eyes. "Was it Louise?"

Karin looked at Henrietta for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "The ones voice was similar I admit, but-"

"Good, then we will need to prepare a way to have a meeting done here," Henrietta suddenly said, stopping Karin from immediately continuing.

"Your highness, if I may speak freely, I do not believe you should put much faith in a diary and coincidences. It is not healthy, and there is no way to prove anything that was in my daughter's diary."

"That island proves everything that she wrote, meaning she is there among them, and can be brought back home to where she belongs. And she will be!" Henrietta said seriously before smirking slightly. "You need to give her a firm few words after all, do you not?"

Henrietta's words made Karin falter slightly, her neutral expression cracking and showing how uncomfortable the topic now was for her, if only for a moment. "The more I think over her writings, the more I realize that there is little I could say to her that could help anything. I failed as a mother and have no right to argue her choices when she worked for them as hard as she did," Karin stated with a sigh, feeling somewhat relieved to admit the fact to someone other than her husband. Yet still sad it had come to what it had.

"Well, I suggest you find the words to make her understand her mistakes then!" Henrietta said cooly, much to Karins surprise. "After all, she will be brought back home to where she belongs, and those who led her to such an act will be punished accordingly . Then, and only then, yes, then Tristain will be more powerful than ever before. With her by my side again, nothing will stop us!"

"Your highness, that is-" Karin tried to speak up, inwardly shocked and terrified by the way the once innocent, pleasant and friendly girl was now speaking.

"Thank you for the report Duchess," Henrietta suddenly said, her tone a bit more normal, but still too serious for her. "I will have an envoy prepared to be sent to these gems and invite them to speak to me. They should be made to understand Halkeginia, and they will be very powerful allies, I am sure of it!"

"Your highness, if I may be so bold, I would request being the envoy to speak to them," Karin quickly spoke up, knowing that the situation was be coming extreme far faster than most would realize. "They have already seen my face, so I would be familiar to them."

"Then please do, Duchess. Oh, and don't forget to make sure that Louise is brought back home , for her own sake and that of Tristains!" Henrietta said as she stood up and left the study, silently saying that Karin had been given her orders.

Once alone, Karin sat in the study for nearly a half hour before placing her head in her hands. "This, is worse than I thought. She's, barely the same person, she's getting worse. Mr Colbert was right. We will need to think of some way to fix this. I just hope we can without it becoming treason.

* * *

**Gallia - royal castle **

"My lord, I have information you may wish to hear,"

Joseph, king of Gallia, turned his head to the door to his study to see his Familiar, a woman named Sheffield, standing there awaiting his response. She was a pretty enough woman with a very cur y figure and large breasts, but Joseph held no care for such things. Luckily she did very good work as his familiar. "Of course, please enter. Tell me what you have discovered."

"Of course my lord. I have been looking into the sudden destruction of Albion and have discovered an island north of it that was not there before . It is surrounded by sheer cliffs, and holds a large building that's design is unlike anything in Halkeginia. There also is e evidence that some non human entities exist there and that both Germania and Tristain have had contacts with them as of two days ago."

"I see. What do you have on the creatures there?"

"They appeared humanoid from a distance and wield swords, but the gargoyle I was using to scout the island was destroyed by something before it could get closer. A second I sent was then destroyed by dragons from Albion that appear to have begun going feral due to lack of handlers for them."

"I see . . . Have you heard or seen anything regarding survivors on Albion?" Joseph asked, surprising Sheffield.

"No my lord, I have not. I would not think that anyone could survive such a cataclysm."

"No, I should think not. Very well, investigate the island and find out if anything on that island can be of use to my plans. The loss of Albion hurt them, so I will need more pawns, lest my plans be pushed further ahead in time," Joseph ordered.

"Of course sir. Do you care how it is investigated?"

Joseph raised an eyebrow. "What are you considering?"

"Why not send your niece. She failed to harass the water spirit effectively, so why not send her to that island with orders to make its resources, both items and people, yours?" Sheffield suggested with a sly grin.

"Hmm, very well. She may be of use in this. Make it so."

"Of course lord," sheffield said as she turned and left the room, leaving Joseph to grin to himself with hope for the futures destruction.

* * *

**Romalia – The holy cathedral of the Founders faith**

"Julio, I have a mission that requires your endless faith in the founder," the Pope of Romalia said as his Familiar entered his office.

"of course, what would the Founders will have of me?"

"I have had a vision that there is now a land north of where Albion has crashed into the waves. There are beings there that look as people. You need together and discern what they are, they follow the faith, and if they are responsible for the destruction of Albion."

"And if they are?" Julio asked calmly.

"If they are responsible for the deaths of so many of the faithful, or if they are faithless in the face or the Founders divine will, make it clear to them that will have one chance go right themselves in his eyes. If they cannot do that, then it may just be that a crusade may need to be called."

"I understand. I shall make them see the error of their ways if it is needed. If they prove to be heathens, am I to give them their punishment, or simply tell them of their fate?"

"I cannot lose you, my most faithful one. Simply tell them and return should it come to that."

"I understand your holiness, I shall depart immediately! " Julio said with a bow as he turned and left.

Alone in his office the Pope stretched and stood up, making his way to a window that faced to the east, allowing a sea breeze into the room as he looked out to the horizon and noticed something that was very wrong. "I shall speak with our priests and astrologers. I don't ever recall such a small third moon ever existing! In the founders sky. How curious."

* * *

**Western Halkeginian mountain**

"I don't like this. The humans shouldn't be capable of such destruction unless that demons magic is the cause," one of two cloaked Figures said as they sat atop the highest south of a great tree that allowed them to overlook much of Halkeginia.

"Even with their void magic I do not see how they could destroy that island," the other said with a sigh. "The elders predicted it would fall, but not so violently, nor so soon."

"Well it clearly has, and it was clearly not due to the wind stones within it. . . . Do we, check for survivors?"

"You are suggesting saving humans? I am surprised."

"Their nobility are the ones who arrogantly rule over others, and it is their foolish church that calls us heathens for having beliefs that differ. If there are regular humans who could survive, well, I would not want even my worst enemy to die such an ignoble death as being buried alive or starving around the bodies of those they loved. If nothing else, those not buried under cities of rubble should be given their last rights."

"We have a mission given to us by the elders. And if humans found us burying their dead, they would not take it well due to their hatred of our kind."

"I know that, but fear should not stop us from doing what is proper. The dead deserve proper burials at the very least. And that island is close enough that it should not be that much of a detour, right?"

"That is true," the one said as a guest or wind blew their good off, revealing pointed ears and short golden hair. "Very well. Let us give the dead their last rights as all should have. Then we shall see if that island is that 'Ark of Dead Morals ' that the elders spoke of!"

"then let us be off. It will take many days just for us to reach the shore without being seen after all," the other said as they both dropped off the tree and back into the forest without a sound or trace.

* * *

**Kibble scribble: whoo another chapter. Now I know what some people are thinking here so I'll say this, politics are complicated. Okay I'll say a bit more. I always hated Germanias position in FOZ. They're always called Barbarian nation and what not, so I figure let's change it up. Same with the elves. Fanfiction can be fun and different and should be so some nations will not be the same, as I hope I have clearly shown here. **

**Either way I hope everyone likes what I have prepared in this chapter for the future. The gems will certainly be busy XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Kibble scribble: Alright here we are, the next chapter. I originally planner for more to happen, but you all have waited long enough so what I planned will just continue in the next chapter. Hope ya like it!**

**Ps, if anyone likes Azur lane, I posted a fic for it and would love feedback on it. **

**Okay enough of that, to the chapter!**

* * *

"And that is all that I can think of that may still be important about Halkeginia's geography, its country's and its religion," Uraninite said as they stood in the center of the schools main hall. Everyone was either sitting on the benches by the walls or on chairs in front of them, while Kongou stood to the side.

Everyone was silent for many moments, seemingly taking in the information that Uraninite had spent the better part of half a day explaining. Two days after it would have been first highly useful to know. Then a bumpy orange hand rose up.

"You have a question, Phosphophylite?" Kongou asked.

Phosphophylite stood up. "Um, I understand that humans sound like they are even more violent then the Lunarians, but what about those elves you mentioned the human religion being against. Are they friendly, or are they a potential enemy too?"

"Honestly I do not know. Information on the elves was not something they taught humans at the academy, and they were only ever made out to be enemies," Uraninite answered.

"So some of the human groups might be friendly, some might be dangerous, and the elves could be either as well," Yellow Diamond said before scratching at their head. "Wish we could know for certain."

"We know that their church will likely be like the Lunarians. So we know of one enemy," Bort stated.

"They might not be though," Diamond said to Bort, before turning to Uraninite. "Right?"

"It, is hard to say," Uraninite admitted. Little has changed in Halkeginia for a long time, so the nobility and church do not like change because it can endanger their rules."

"So we know roughly how their lands operate, their rules, how they relate to each other, and the names of some of their most prominent leaders, while they know nothing about us," Alexandrite summarized. "Doesn't this give us some kind of advantage in talking to them?"

"Perhaps, but only so long as they wish to speak," Rutile said as they looked to Uraninite. "Correct?"

"Yes. Once they decide what they think of us, it will be hard to change their minds," Uraninite stated as they recalled all the times she could where opinions were formed before someone had met someone else and how it changed their views. It was a lot, and nobles were very bad for it. "So our first impressions will be important."

"Like how you and Bort struck them as quickly as you did?" Yellow Diamond grinned.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I acted rashly," Uraninite said with a light bow.

"Don't apologize," Bort said seriously. "The way those ones talked, and the way they looked at us like the Lunarians do, they had it coming."

"It does bring up an important matter however," Rutile spoke up. "How shall we speak with the ones who wish to? Do we make our decisions as a whole or do we let Sensei speak to them perhaps?"

Many began muttering agreements on letting Kongou speak to them, but all noise stopped as he raised a hand. "While I am humbled by your trust, I do not believe I am best suited for these humans, politics. However I would suggest a few handful be the ones to speak to whomever come calling for us all. I would suggest three be chosen to act as our emissaries and speakers to the humans."

"That is a good idea. But how do we choose the three to do that?" Diamond asked uncertainly.

"Glowie would be one of them. They know what to expect of the humans," Bort stated like it was fact.

"I don't think that's fair to just make them though, no?" Euclase spoke up.

"No, its fine," Uraninite said, surprisingly everyone. "I saw this coming really."

"That doesn't mean you have to accept it though," Obsidian said.

Uraninite shrugged. "If someone didn't suggest it, I was probably going to volunteer. While I am not looking forward to meeting anyone I might have known that was a past life, it doesn't matter much as this is the life I chose. So I'm fine with being one of the three to deal with them."

"Ooay, so we need two others then," Jade said before glancing around. "Who thinks they are up to the task? Rutile?"

Rutile shook their head calmly. "No. While I have no doubt I could talk to them, biology is not where my skills lie, and I cannot repair everyone if I am not here when they break."

"Yeah, I don't think I'd like the idea of the humans learning of our weaknesses if Rutile starts talking either," Yellow Diamond said with a grin.

Rutile didn't seem to mind as they shrugged. "That too I suppose."

"Okay , does anyone have any suggestions then?" Jade asked.

"Perhaps we should go about this in another way?" Euclase suggested as they looked at Uraninite. "What things might the humans speak to us about?"

"Well, if they want to speak, they will want to know about us and the island. Some may, if they decide to be friendly, wish to talk about the trade of resources, while others may be more interested in our ability to fight. Specifically to fight them, so they can gauge if they want to fight or not," Uraninite answered.

"Okay, that makes sense. So we would need someone knowledgeable in combat, and someone maybe knowledgeable in our, economy? That is the right word, right?" Jade asked.

"Yes," Uraninite answered. "Though we don't really have one as they would understand it."

"Should also probably have someone who is good at speaking and is older who can lead this group, right?" Alexandrite asked as they looked at Jade and then at Yellow Diamond.

"So, wouldn't Bort be good then as their the best in combat?" Morganite asked.

"No, I'm not dealing with the humans," Bort said seriously. "We also do not know if the Lunarians are actually gone or not."

"Oh, right," Morganite said as they slumped their shoulders, defeated.

"Well, isn't Uraninite fine for combat?" Red Beryl spoke up. " I mean, their light is poison to organics just by being near it. Are they not perfect for fighting these humans?"

"If it comes to that, it'll be a massacre about a week after the fact," Uraninite muttered before letting out a sigh. "Yes I can do that, but we still need two others. I'm not dealing with them alone."

"I'll volunteer then!" Obsidian spoke up. "I know enough about how we get the resources we need."

"True, but what if our swords break?" Zircon asked.

"I have three dozen spares in my room," Obsidian answered instantly. "Besides, we won't be acting as emissaries all the time."

"That's true. Okay so we need one more, anyone?" Jade asked, eyeing Yellow diamond a bit as they asked.

After a few seconds of e everyone looking around at each other, but no one speaking, Yellow Diamond let out a sigh and raised a hand. "Alright I get it, as an elder I'll volunteer to keep things in control."

"Alright, thank you Yellow," Jade said with a nod. "We should probably make up a bell signal to tell you three your needed for those kinds of things."

"That won't be needed just yet," came a new voice that made everyone look back to see Cinnabar standing by the doorway to the hall, globes of silver poison floating around them.

"Cinnabar! Are you-" Phosphophylite began to stay, till Cinnabar stopped them.

"I was taking a walk and was spoken to by one of those humans that Sensei told me about last night. They said they wanted to talk, so I figured I'd tell someone here, that's all."

"Where are they and how did they get here?" Uraninite asked immediately.

"It's one person and they came here on a big scaled bird," cinnabar said with a sigh. "I told them to wait a distance from the school in front of the bell tower."

"Is that a good thing then?" Yellow Diamond asked as they looked to Uraninite.

"It could be. Just one person means a scout, or possibly an envoy," Uraninite explained as they looked back up to Cinnabar. "Did they say anything?"

"They asked to speak to someone about something about an altercation, I think," cinnabar replied.

"So that means it could be one of them from before," Yellow Diamond said with a shake of their head. "Alright, we better go out and talk to them then, come on."

"I wish you luck in speaking with this human," Kongou said right as Uraninite and Obsidian moved to follow Yellow Diamond.

"We'll be fine," Yellow Diamond said with a grin. "How hard can it be?"

* * *

Evelyn knew that reports could only be trusted to so much of an extent. Information became incorrect as time went on, and personal views and ideals could change what people see over time without them even realizing it. An example of this was if someone was afraid or something, then their memory of it over time would become more vague and horrific, when they could be talking about a simple pet dog that bit them when they were younger.

Knowing that information changed, and that many soldiers liked to over exaggerate to make their deeds greater than they were, Evelyn was adamant about taking only the minimum knowledge with her to the unknown island. Yes, she was going to stop the situation was exploding out of proportion, but she also was intending to learn as much as she could about it and its denizens, unsure if they could be called people or not.

The basic information she made sure to know was what Albrecht had told her. The islands shape and the fact that its denizens could speak and were supposedly made of gemstones. She also recalled that the island was supposed to have some form of structure on it as well. But it was not until she came up to the island on her wyvern that the truth of that particular point became as clear as it was.

The building was easily the size of a castle and that looked as if it had been carved into a dome out of an entire mountainside of bright white rock. Yet there was no mountain nearby, and the smoothness of the building even from a distance spoke of handiwork that was extremely skilled, or very tenacious and patient. Likely all of these things.

From a distance she could see what appeared to be a couple pools of water in front of the building, as well as a tall and prominent tower with what appeared to be a bell hanging from it. Both good signs of culture, and skilled craftsmanship.

Suddenly her wyvern let out a whine, making her smile and stroke its neck. "Alright girl, let's land and give you some rest. This was quite a flight for you, so thank you," Evelyn said as she led her wyvern inward and landed in an area of grasslands. It was still a ways from the building, but that was fine. It wasn't going anywhere.

"you are one of those, humans?"

Evelyn turned to her right to find one or the island's denizens standing a dozen or so meters away from her. Its eyes and hair were a brilliant bright red in color that did indeed appear like that of a gemstone, though the globes of floating silver liquid that bobbed around her was a bit unnerving. Was it quicksilver perhaps? "I am a human yes. May I know who you are?" Evelyn asked politely, knowing that first impressions were important. Granted Germanias first impression had been soured, but that was now her job to fix.

"Why are you here?" the red haired being asked, their tone a mix between worry and curiosity.

"I am here on behalf of the great nation of Germania to speak to your leadership about the unfortunate events that recently transpired here regarding our peoples," Evelyn said formally as she bowed toward the red being.

It stared at her, the balls of quicksilver floating about seemingly at random, and then sighed. "You want to talk to someone, is that it?"

"Yes, that is what I said," Evelyn replied, doing her best to not sound exasperated or annoyed. Though after a second of thought she realized that maybe the being hadn't understood because of the way she had spoken. Being formal and respectful was the norm within all the nations of Halkeginia, but perhaps their idea of formality was different? Maybe they didn't even use formalities in the same way?

"Alright, I will tell someone you are here. Go wait away from the school, in front of the bell tower," the being said before turning and running off toward the large building, leaving Evelyn with even more questions such as why was it called a school? Who would she be speaking to? And perhaps most important to her own sanity, were these creatures male or female?

The red one was odd. It had no discernable breasts, yet had a softly angled face and a sway to their hips as they moved. Not as pronounced as some women, but more pronounced than any man. Its body also had the curves that a young woman would, yet those same parts of its body did not move right at all for how a woman would hold themselves.

"If all of those creatures are like that I may have to make asking about their gender one of my first questions to keep my sanity," Evelyn said with a shake of her head before she looked to her wyvern and patted its side. "Come on, it's a bit of a walk, but once we meet them I'll see if they have some food and drink for both of us to refresh ourselves with."

The wyvern let out a grumbly whine of hope as Evelyn began leading it across the grass toward the bell tower in the distance.

It took a long while walking, almost an hour by Evelyn's reckoning, but once she arrived a bit away from the bell tower she was close enough to simply stand and marvel at the architecture of both the tower and the massive domelike building itself.

Because while from a distance they were grand looking, from much closer she could tell that they were truly massive structures that did not just look like they had been carved out of one piece, at closer examination it seemed highly likely. She couldn't say for sure as she was no expert, but the bell tower at least had no lines or joints in it anywhere. It was a solid tower of white stone, with the only additions looking to be pins and clasps to hold the bell in place. Of course that was made more impressive by the fact that the bell was large enough that two or three people could likely stand in it, and Prepared to be made of a something other than brass, iron or silver.

Further observation was halted however as her Wyvern began growling, pulling her attention to three figured that came out of the huge building and were approaching her. Ones hair was a bright golden yellow, while the other two were more dull and subdued with one being black, and the other a dull dark green. "Minerva, no. Down," Evelyn ordered, making her wyvern lay down just in time as the three figures reached speaking distance.

"Hello, I take it you are the human who wished to speak to us?" the Yellow haired one asked in a way that was far more causal than Evelyn expected. No bowing, no grand entrances or flourishes, no arrogant tones or innuendo or insinuations. They just walked out and asked.

Granted there were three of them, but that wasn't abnormal when dealing with other nations. "Yes, I am an emissary from the nation of Germania. My name is Evelyn, and I am here to speak to your leader about what has transpired here some days ago. As well as to talk about other things as well, if the situation allows" Evelyn responded with a smile.

"The last human that was here and willing to speak said much the same and we told them that we have no one person who leads us," the Yellow one spoke up. "The three of us however have volunteered to act as the ones who will speak to humans who come with non hostile intent."

"I see. I was told as much, but truthfully I did not believe you could not have some central leader," Evelyn admitted with a light shake of her head. "However it is good to know you are prepared, is there some place we can speak alone perhaps?"

The yellow one looked to the very dark greenish grey one, who then let out a sigh. "Why would we need such a room?"

"Uh, well matters of politics are usually not held out in the open. It could be back if someone hears something they are not supposed to . You understand, yes?"

"No," the green one said simply. "Some of us carry secrets, but anything that could effect others, we trust each other to tell us all when it is needed to be. Everything you could speak of us with will be heard by the rest of our kind because we will tell them."

"Even if I accidentally let something I am not suppose to say slip and ask that it not be repeated to others?" Evelyn asked seriously.

"Yes. We do not keep secrets that could harm each other," the black one answered this time, sounding very assured in their words.

"I see. That sounds like a nice idea, if very naïve. Do you not worry about what your fellows could do to one up you?"

"I have never considered such a thing personally, we Gems don't think of, hurting each other for our own gain. We may joke and tease each other, but nothing to intentionally hurt our fellows," the yellow one stated, their voice sounding so assure that Evelyn could only assume it spoke truth.

"I see. I envy you then, but that is not my reason for being here. Days ago, Germnian forces came here investigating the sudden appearance of this island, and it is reported that they acted in a way unbecoming of their rank and nobility. The king of Germania has sent me to make you understand that conflict was not Germanias intention, and to apologize for what occurred."

The yellow and black gems looked at the green one, who in turn hung their head. "Ugh, it's fine I guess, I overreacted due to their comments and killed the one,"

"You were the one that killed the captain then?" Evelyn asked curiously. Inwardly wondering how a creature that looked so weak could kill that overly muscular oaf of a captain.

"I was, and if that inconvenienced your land, I do apologize. But he threatened my family," the green one said.

"No, I understand. Though I now realize I still have not heard your names, and will need at least yours to give a name to my liege," Evelyn said simply, hoping they would not be too spooked by the idea. They were certainly strange, and it was near impossible for her to guess their emotions or reactions because of that.

"Ah, right, I guess were so use to just knowing everyone's names," the yellow one said with a smile. "My name is Yellow Diamond, and this is Obsidian and Uraninite."

"Oh, may, I ask a question?" Evelyn asked, quickly getting a nod from Yellow Diamond. "Are your names related to what your hair appears to kind of look like it is made of?"

"It is not just our hair, our whole bodies are made out what we are called," Obsidian provided.

"so you are completely made or gemstones, but not all of you is that color?" Evelyn asked as she was honestly very curious. Even with how strange they stood, and how odd their limited culture sounded from what she knew already, it was still fascinating.

"No, our whole bodies are," Yellow Diamond said as they scratched her their arm a bit, seeming carving up their outer skin and revealing yellow stone beneath. "See? It's a powder we use on ourselves to help protect us from the environment."

"How curious," Evelyn said as she stretched one of her legs then the other. "This is a bit off topic, but your kind don't get sore muscles, do you?"

"we do not have muscles in the same was as organics do, and I am not sure what you mean by sore," Yellow answered simply, as if it was common knowledge.

"Ah, well, just standing around without doing anything can be bad for our muscles. I know you have no specific place for us to talk, but is there some place we could sit perhaps?" Evelyn asked.

"There are some places that could work, this way," Uraninite said as they turned to lead the way.

"Ah, before I forget though, could I get some food for my Wyvern?"

"Um, food? You mean the stuff that birds eat?" obsidian asked.

"well, kind of. Wyverns eat meat primarily."

"We don't have that here, unless you want to try to catch some of the small white animals or the birds that are around, " Uraninite said.

"You don't have meat? What do you eat then?" Evelyn asked in shock.

"We don't," Yellow Diamond explained. "We get energy from the sun, not by eating things like animals do."

"Oh, that is, well then Minerva you-" Evelyn began to say as she turned around to her wyvern, o0nly for it to roar up at the clouds and growl. It didn't take Evelyn long to realize what her mount was roaring at.

"Why is it doing that?" Obsidian asked, seemingly unafraid like most people would be if a wyvern had roared so lose to them.

"There is a Manticore approaching," Evelyn said in clear worry as she stared at the beasts shape as it flew closer, clearly heading toward either them or the building.

"Oh. Do you think it's that same human again?" Obsidian asked.

"We'll find out in moment. It looks to be coming this way and slowing down," Uraninite said.

Evelyn said nothing as worries mounted within her mind. There was no one from Germania that should be coming, and as only Tristain and Germania had Manticore squadrons in their forces it had to be a Tristainian knight. And the only one of those knights who would be sent alone for anything was its captain, Karin Valliere, the heavy wind. She was not a woman that she wanted to deal with if her reason for being here was to oust her considering how those fools from before had acted, she did think it was a possibility.

The Manticore landed away from them, far enough to not spook Evelyn's Wyvern, and just as she figured Karin Valliere climbed down. Within seconds Evelyn found herself letting our a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding as she noted that The Heavy Wind was not dressed for combat and was wearing formal attire without even a sword on her hip. It was a good sign, better still when Karin herself lightly smiled at her, remembering their last meeting .

"Dame Evelyn, I am surprised to see you here," Karin spoke up as she approached, looking the perfect image of a regal and proper noble. "Am I to take your presence here as your king taking this islands existence seriously, and perhaps even regretting what transpired between your peoples?"

"You may, yes. I am here upon orders to learn all that I can about these people and apologize for what had transpired."

"I see, it is good your king at least understands, now if only my queen would,"

Evelyn was visibly shocked by Karins words. She had never even heard rumor of the heavy wind speaking out against her country or regent. She was known as one who never did such a thing and held herself to the highest standards that any noble or knight could. Yet now she seemed broken and worried, though she shook it off and quickly returned to her normal expression of serious proper formality.

"Ah, please forgive me and please disregard that, it was unbecoming of me to say such a thing."

"No, it is fine. We all have situations we are dealing with, I shall not fault you for that," Evelyn responded politely.

"Then I thank you, Dame Evelyn," Karin said as she looked to the three Gems. "It seems we meet again under less dire circumstances. My queen has requested I act as an envoy to learn of your people, and to, by the right of the queen, invite some among you to speak to her in person for matters of political policy and official greetings."

"Then, I suppose we greet you?" Yellow diamond said unsurely with a smile. "The three of us have volunteered to act as the ones to speak with humans like the two of you, and were a out to head into the school to sit and continue. Would you like to join us, or is speaking with us together something you are not allowed to do?"

"I have no issue with it. There is no problem with learning of your kind as a group, or teaching you of our kin either," Karin said simply.

"I do not either, ah however, Lady Karin," Evelyn spoke as she turned to Karin. "These beings apparently do not consume food, so there is none here for our amounts, or ourselves in all likelihood."

"I see, we can deal with that later, for now, please lead the way, I am looking forward to what we may learn of each other ," Karin said.

"Same, let's go sit over here and we can begin, I'm sure there's much to discuss," Yellow Diamond stated as they began leading the group toward the pond, and an afternoon of talks.


	8. Chapter 8

"Evelyn, I require your assistance," Karin said as she walked out of the small tavern and into the stable where Evelyn was preparing her Wyvern for flight.

"Whatever for may I ask lady Valliere?" Evelyn responded politely as he continued to adjust her Wyverns saddle.

"I need you to come up with an excuse that stops the Gems from considering accepting a proposal that I have been putting off, and will have to bring up today."

Evelyn froze for a moment before tightening the last strap on the saddle and turning to Karin. "I have not pressed you for anything despite some of what you have said over these past few days, both because it is not respectful and improper. However I will need more information if I am to consider even attempting such a thing, as you are directly asking me to impede Tristainian interests, and I am not intent on straining our two nations already limited relations."

"Of course, I expected no less. Let us head to my room to speak," Karin said as she turned and walked back toward the inn.

Evelyn nodded and followed her away from the stables, giving her a view of the small towns main road. Some houses had yet to be rebuilt after the destructive wave had collapsed most of the village, and so many others. The rebuilding was going slowly, but steadily as a squad of Tristainian soldiers had arrived the day after they had first spoken to the Gems. It was an interesting situation as officially they were at war with Albion, but with Albion having fallen from the sky, and their coastline battered by the blast that did it, it seemed they were more focused on repairing their holdings.

And of course gaining some sort of relation with the Gems. That fact had been on Evelyn's mind for a while now, because while Karin was very up front and polite, she was deftly avoiding certain subjects of conversation with them. Over the last week they had spoken to the Gems only three times, mostly as they gave some help in repairing the village they were now in to use it as a rest place, but in those three times they had learned much, but also so very little.

Her musings were cut short when she arrived at the room Karin was using. Like her own it was a simple sparse room of a spwooden framed bed that barely had a mattress, and a simple desk to the side. They were rough, ha ing just barely survived the blast that had wrecked the village, and for most nobility they were so pathetic that they would complain about them nonstop. Of course neither she nor Karin had complained omce, as they had seen the devastation the village had endured.

"Please close the door," Karin requested as she walked a cross the room and closed the windows sparse shutters, darkening the room some as Evelyn closed the door. "I assume you have noticed that I am not speaking of my queen and her wishes of late?"

"I have," Evelyn said with a nod. "I have also noticed that you have been speaking purely of non military knowledge with the Gems, and have been avoiding speaking to the green one called Uraninite."

"so you noticed that. They are related, but until I know one thing for sure, I cannot say much on it and have myself be believed," Karin stated awkwardly. "As I said though, I need you to stop me from either offering a proposal, or stop the Gems from accepting it."

"And that proposal is what, exactly?" Evelyn asked calmly.

"My queen wishes to not only know of the gems, but to have them , one of them specifically, come to the Capitol and speak to her."

"That does not seem to dangerous," Evelyn stated calmly. "Once we have learned much more about them and have delivered such information to our regents I was planning on giving my king such a suggestion that he may meet them himself. It is normal, if nothing else, for a regent to wish to personally meet the leaders of other nations."

"that is the problem, she cannot . . . I mean it would be less than ideal to, they cannot," Karin stopped talking amd took a num er or breaths, seeming to try to calm her down from her agitation. It was odd seeing the one known as the heavy wind and the iron maiden to be acting so agitated and anxious. But as soon as she was calm it became clear from her expression that it was not mere agitation, but something dangerously serious. "I had hoped I could avoid it, but I will need to tell you the whole truth, and due to that I would ask it not leave this room. Can you promise me that?"

"You ask me this knowing I am an envoy from the hated Germania?" Evelyn asked seriously.

"I know you are one who is trustworthy, as is your king. It is merely the arrogant and possessive of Germania I find ill to deal with," Karin replied coolly, now seeming truly in control of her emotions.

"I cannot fully promise such a thing on it's own, but I can promise that information that does not effect my land directly will not be spoke of to any unless you allow it. And any information that does effect my land shall only be told to my king and no others, " Evelyn responded just as seriously, every word properly stresses and made as clear as possible.

Karin looked at Evelyn and nodded, the slightest of smiles gracing her lips. "That will suffice. . . My youngest daughter dissapeared some time ago."

"I believe I had heard something of that," Evelyn said with a nod. "It was said that she simply vanished, or perhaps had ran away."

"That was the official story, as what is the truth is, fanciful at best. Her diary that was left in her room at the academy told of how when she would fall unconcious from her failed spells that she was living a second life. The entries clearly read of how this other life was one she preffered due to the people in it treating her like family, and not like the outcast most had treated her like. Myself included, I admit."

"I see. Raising a child is said to be difficult, but as I have no experience with such a thing . . I am sure you had your best intentions with how you raised her, no?"

"I did. I saw so much of my younger self in her. Prideful, strong willed, intelligent, capable. But her inability to cast magic was a . . . . Problem. In the Hope's that study and hard work could help her through, I made my families rules of to not break rules, and to not let emotions drive you harsher upon her," Karin said, small tears forming at the edges of her eyes. "From reading her diary I now know that was a mistake. She held in everything, never showed how she felt and simply accepted the mockery of others and it ate away at her. And in my attempt to harden her so that she could succeed, she began to feel that ghe only one in our family who cared for her was my daughter cattleya. My whole family made mistakes that led to her feeling like a pariah. Like she was unloved and unwanted."

"I am sorry. And I am also sorry for saying this, but I do not see how this is related to our current situation."

"I am now there," Karin said as she took a deep breath. "Her diary spoke of a ritual to displace her to this other world she believed in. To an island of calm weather inhabited by people who were made of jewels and called Gems."

Evelyn stared at Karin, her expression of of impossible shock and surprise. "That . . You are saying that your daughter had known the Gems beforehand somehow?"

"Yes. And worse, her childhood friend, the princess now queen of Tristain, became intent on bringing her back. And has done so in a sense."

"You mean to say that, the Gems and their island, and perhaps the destructive wave that ruined the coast and destroyed Albion, may be the fault of your queen?" Evelyn asked very carefully.

"It is highly likely, yes," Karin confirmed after a few seconds of silence.

"This, is a lot to hear at once," Evelyn stated as she began massaging her temples with her fingers. "I have two questions, no, three. The first is, how does one transport themselves to a different place or bring a whole island to a place it should not be? The Gems have made it abundantly clear to us that they were never in our world until their island was brought here after all."

"By the Founders own power. By void magic. My daughters diary spoke that, after much research on her own, she came to believe that she had void magic, and that it was the reason she could not do magic normally. Days after she disappeared the queens magic began to change, as did her disposition."

"You mean she inherited the void magic your daughter had like is said in some stories?" evelyn asked, surprising Krin.

"Yes, but such stories are rare and little known, how do you-"

"I mY not be package, but knowledge is still power. I have done very in depth research into magic, and can say with surety that the king of Gallia is likely a void mage."

"I see. That, does explain many things perhaps. I have been told there was one story that stated that the Founders magic often changed a person's perceptions or feelings on matters," Kafrin said with a sigh. "This explains much actually."

"It does, yes. This alo answers another question but I still must ask this due to what you have told me. Diyour daughters diary make any notice as to who she was among them?"

"It did."

"I see that you have already met them then. Did they recognize you?"

Karin simply nodded shallowly.

"I see. Why is it so important that your queen does not meet them? Were they not friends?"

"Yes, but my queen has made comments that make me worried for what she intends. She wishes for my daughter to be by her side, whether she wishes to or not, and I fear that will cause even worse dangers considering what little we have learned of the Gems," Karin said with a heavy sigh. "I received a letter from her last night stating that, while she was impressed with my desire to learn about our neighbour she is ordering I invite them to speak to her directly."

"And you wish for me to find a way to stop such an invite from being viable because you do not believe your queen is in her right mind due to the void magic. Correct?"

"Yes. I have been speaking with Tristains expert on old legends aroundvoid magic via his familiar, and he agrees that we should not allow the queens plan, lest she become power hungry as the mad king of Gallia. And since you have confirmed the rumor that he could be a void mage, that fear now feels very real to me."

"Very well," Evelyn said with a defeated sigh. "I am loathe to participate in such maneuvers, but I understand the need and will do my best to assist. When were you planning on asking the Gems about it?"

"My queens letter insists it be one of the first things I, order, of them."

"So it is not even a request then. We should not tarry then. If it is somehow discovered you are acting slowly when given orders like that, I fear what you may have to deal with," Evelyn said as she turned and opened the door.

"I do as well. But you are right. Let us be off. It has been a few days since we were there due to assisting this village get back on its feet for our stay after all," Karin said as she followed.

"Yes, I just hope nothing extreme has occurred while we have not been there."

* * *

Yellow diamond walked through the hills of the school, sighed, and then turned down a hall to the rooms and stuck her head in the doorway to Obsidians room, finding them working on a sword. "Hey, have you seen Uraninite?"

Obsidian looked up to Yellow and shook their head. "No, not since this morning. Uraninite said they were going on a patrol since the human envoys haven't been here these last two days."

"Oh, darn. Rutile is still trying to finish everyone's hardness evaluations, so they asked me to find Uraninite as they are about three hundred years overdue."

"Are they overdue if they, and Sensei, are not even sure if they physically existed during that time?" Obsidian asked, standing up away from the sword on the table, looking to have completed its blade.

"I'm not even going to consider the meaning of that," Yellow diamond said with a shudder.

"Should I go find Rutile as well?" Obsidian then asked, making it clear they hadn't been examined in a while.

"I'm not sure. They were adamant about testing Uraninite and Phosphophylite, but didn't mention anyone else."

"Rutile is testing Phos? They usually pass them over."

"I know, but they said something about being curious how their gold alloy has effected the toughness of their body and their agate legs," Yellow Diamond said with a shrug. "Either way I'm not getting in the way."

"that sounds intelligent," Obsidian agreed as they stretched their arms above their head and then picked up the completed blade off the table. "When do you think those humans will come again?"

"Don't know," Yellow Diamond said as they stepped in and learned agasint the doorframe. They said they would not be here for a few days due to business in a town, but that was all. The idea of a town is weird."

"I agree. Just imagining hundreds of anything is odd, but a grouping of buildings, all filled with people is strange sounding. I wonder why they don't all just live together like we do?"

"theres probably a reason. Could ask them next time they come," Yellow Diamond suggested before tilting their head slightly. "Could also ask Uraninite too I suppose. Might be faster."

Obsidian shook their head. "No, it would better if we ask them questions instead of suddenly just knowing. And I think Uraninite would like that better too."

"True. And it has been telling when they tell us one thing, and how Uraninite tells us it differs to what they are telling us. Even if they are little differences."

"Yes. It's unfortunate we cannot ask them why they are not telling us the real truth without revealing Uraninites past."

"I think its useful. These humans seem to like to lie to us more than any Gem would even consider. Them not knowing we know better is probably best for us. Besides if we can-" Yellow Diamond began, only be cut off as the school bell rang a few times in a strange, and still not fully recognized sequence.

"What was that?!" Obsidian said as they went over to the window I their room and looked out. "I don't see a Sunspot."

"That was the signal for humans I believe," Yellow Diamond provided with a sigh as they stood away from the door. "We should probably go and meet them."

"Right. It's a good thing I finished this blade when I did. If I stop midway they get brittle," Obsidian commented as they walked to the door and joined Yellow Diamond in jogging down the halls of the school.

"Well as long as you don't get brittle," Yellow Diamond joked, making Obsidian just scowl slightly as they came down the stairs to the bottom floor or the school and quickly made their way outside.

Just as before the two humans were by the bell tower with their strange beasts. Unlike other times Phosphophylite was there as well and seemed to be speaking to them. Which was a slight problem as it had been agreed that everyone but the three of them would hold off speaking to any humans as much as possible for the time being.

"Phos, what are you doing?" Yellow Diamond called as they and Obsidian slowed themselves to a casual walk just before Phosphophylite and the two humans turned to look at them.

"Ah, Yellow, I was just speaking to the humans while waiting for you to-" Phosphophylite began today as they ran over.

Only for a hammer to fly through the air, slam into the side of their head, and send them falling sideways into one of the jellyfish pools with a splash.

"Ah," Yellow Diamond gasped , both from the sight, and due to the two humans reactions. They then turned in the direction the hammer came from to see Rutile, looking very pleased with themselves, and Uraninite who had a hand over their face and looked to be shaking their head. "Rutile, what is that about?"

"Phosphophylite keeps running. I simply sought to stop them, and to expedite their hardness test," Rutile responded as Phosphophylite's golden goo began oozing out or the water and wrapping around a nearby stone , providing an anchor to pull themselves out with.

"Of course I am going to run you quack doc! You could have cracked my head open!" Phosphophylite yelled as soon as their head was out of the water.

"The stop running and submit," Rutile commanded as they walked over to Phosphophylite, who was still half in the water, and pulled another hammer out from in their coat.

"Ignore them," Yellow Diamond said to Obsidian with a sigh as they walked straight for the two humans, Uraninite having already walked over and opened conversation with them.

"Welcome again. I apologize you had to see that," Uraninite said stoically.

"It is no trouble, though I will admit I am curious. Would a hammer not be dangerous to your kind?" Evelyn asked, clearly meaning nothing negative in her choice of words.

"They might be, but Rutile knows what they are doing, " Yellow Diamond said with a grin.

"And, what is it that she, I mean they, are doing," Karin asked, looking slightly irked at having to correct herself. After all one of the longest conversation they had early on was the concept of the Gems not having gender.

"A hardness check," Obsidian said before continuing when they noticed the humans confused looks. "Every century Rutile does hardness checks on everyone to make sure everyone is good and solid. They can tell just from the timbre if we have any problems."

"Ah, so that one is some form of healer then?" Karin asked.

"Rutile is our doctor, yes," Yellow Diamond said, earning a strange look from Karin.

"would they not be something else?"

"Why?"

"Well a doctor is. . . . . Ah, excuse me, I made a crass assumption that your meaning of the title would be the same as ours," Karin said with a nod of her head.

"Its fine, I am sure we likely have made some comments about yourselves that may have been as such," yellow Diamond said with a grin. "If its not a problem, may I ask where you have been these last two days though?"

"the closest village to this island of yours is a small fishing village and was devastated by the blast that a accompanied your islands arrival. We elected to stay there and help with the rebuilding efforts to speed the process up is all," Evelyn responded simply.

"oh, I guess that makes sense, though I admit the idea of so many people in a different buildings is a bit odd" Obsidian spoke up. "Why not just have everyone live together?"

"That would be difficult," Evelyn said, sounding upset with her own words. "In human culture there is a divide that certain groups of people do not normally mingle together. Family groups do of course live together, but different families, and those of different classified groups, do not."

"I see," Uraninite said with a light sigh that hid their true thoughts on the matter, and silently told Yellow Diamond and Obsidian that some information had been omitted. "The last day you were here I recall you commented that the room we had chosen to use was dark. Would I be correct in assuming that humans do not do well in dim light?"

"Not exactly," Karin spoke up. "That room was enough for the needs of a meeting, it just may have felt a bit dreary with how bare and dim it was. Humans do not see well in the dark, but that much was not a huge issue."

"Well we can apologize anyway. We have no problems sitting anywhere, but it looked like you both were a bit uncomfortable in there," Yellow Diamond stated with a smile. "Why don't we sit out here or in the fields on the grass to talk?"

"I have no issue with this, if you do not, Dame Evelyn?" karin asked as she looked to Evelyn.

"I like the idea. It reminds me of going on a picnic. Just with no food," Evelyn responded with a snicker.

"Then let's head out there, its only a short walk," Yellow Diamond said as they began leading the group out into the field. It was a bit of a walk, but nothing major and only took a few minutes to arrive as a small hill where they promptly sat in two lines z Ross from the other. "As your question about the bell tower was the last question last you were here I believe it would be our turn to ask a question, yeah?"

"Very well, what would you like to ask?" Karin spoke up while looking like she had a question of her own.

"Uraninite has a question, actually," Yellow Diamond said as they looked over to Uraninite, making bothKIarin and Evelyn look curious. They had after all spoken little and had not yet asked a question, leaving them to Yellow Diamond and Obsidian for the most part.

"The broken landmass that you called Albion. You called it a country like your own and said it had been in the sky, and that it was destroyed and it's people lost. How do you know that?"

"We saw it fall, in a sense," Evelyn answered.

"Ah, I am sorry, I meant it's people. How do you know they perished?" Uraninite said, focusing their question.

"It is not believed anyone could survive such a thing," Karin answered as she stared at Uraninite, trying to figure out what they were up to.

"So your people did not think to even see if your others needed help?" Uraninite asked, making Karin pale a bit as she realized what Uraninite was asking.

"No, but as they had declared war on Tristain, unjustified," Evelyn added as she spoke, surprising Karin by her defence. "Germania saw no need and I assume Tristain had similar opinions as they would have attacked them."

"I see. That is all I wanted to know," Uraninite said, their expression impossibly neutral.

Silence reigned for a moment, Evelyn and Karin unsure what to make of what they had been asked and what it could mean for them. Until Yellow Diamond held a hand out toward them. "I believe it is your turn for a question now."

"Ah, yes, or course," Karin said as she composee herself. "It is less a question, but my queen has sent me a missive with a request for you to-"

Suddenly both Evelyn's wyvern and Karins manticore stood up from their respective places where they had been lying and began growing. Loudly. A second later the sharp trill off a dragon echoed out over the grasses drawing all eyes up to where it was gracefully circling overhead.

"As they are not attacking or immediately landing, I believe they are waiting for us to motion for them to. It appears we have guests," Evelyn said simply.

"So it seems. I would guess it is a scout sent to investigate this island from either Gallia, or perhaps Romalia," Karin said seriously. She then turned to the Gems. "I believe it is your call if they may land since they are being so passive about it."

"If they are here to speak I have no issue with it," Yellow Diamond said with a shrug.

"Very well then," Evelyn said as she stood up and walked a it away from the group, then did a strange hndmotion up to the dragon three times. Whatever it was the rider seemed to recognize it and slowly descended until it was able to gently land.

The dragon was a lighter shade or blue than any either Evelyn or Karin had seen, and its riders were not what they expected. Two girls, not even women from age. One with short blue hair and an expression of boredom or perhaps neutrality, and the other an extremely well shaped girl with tan skin and bright red hair that reached down to her hips. They both were wearing travel gear, but they both would likely have looked perfectly comfortable in the uniform of the magic academy.

"I take you girls are here for reasons beyond simple sightseeing?" Evelyn asked first, seemingly intent on comfir,ing the reason for their presence as passively as possible.

"Envoy. Gallia," the blue haired girl said quietly as she clutched her impressively carved staff in her one hand, while the other was brushing a leather bag that hung from her shoulder.

Evelyn nodded at that, knowing no one from Gallia would have the ball to lie about such a thing, then turned to the redhead, feeling as if she recognized her, but not being able to put her finger on it.

"Ah, I'm her friend who decided to tag along. I will mind my tongue, don't worry," the redhead assured, her accent confirming to Evelyn that she was Germanian. She just still could not quite figure out whom she was.

"Alright, then come, we can get introduction in order and perhaps tell you a bit of what we envoys from Germania and Tristain have learned," Evelyn said as she turned and walked back over to Kzrin and the Gems with the two girls hot on her heels. "It appears Gallia had sent an envoy as well to your island,"

"Well that could be a good thing," Yellow Diamond said as they stood up and smiled at the two girls. "Welcome to our island. I am Yellow Diamond, one of three speakers our kind have agreed upon to speak to yours."

"What, are," the blue haired girl said as the red head starring wonder at Yellow Diamonds hair.

"pardon?" Yellow Diamond asked, not sure what she was meaning.

"Ah, I think she is asking what you are exactly," the redhead explained for her friend. "I mean, on first glance I would assume a golem, but golems cannot talk."

"We are Gems," Yellow Diamond said before gesturing to the other two. "This is Obsidian and Uraninite, the other two speakers of our kind to meet with those of your nation who seek to talk and speak. And these are the Envoys from other countries, Evelyn of Germania and Karin of Tristain," Yellow Diamond said professionally.

"Tabith. Gallia, envoy," the blue haired girl introduced.

"Ah, I'm her friend, Kirche," Kirche said a second later when she noticed Karin staring directly at her.

"What is your family?" Karin asked as she gently stood up, only Evelyn and Uraninite noticing that her muscles were tensing.

"ah, yes, of course. My full name is Kirche Augusta Frederica Von Anhalt Zerbst of Ger-"

Kirche was unable to finish as all hell broke loose.

* * *

**Kibble scribble: this feels like a good place to end this chapter. **

**Also I should point out that having to not use gendered pronouns for some chars but not all is way harder than I thought it would be originally, like ugh.**

**Also writing Karin is fun. I see her a lot as just evil or haughty and never misunderstood, and I hope I'm showing that she made choices that she now regrets. Character growth should still be a thing even for a character like hers right?**

**Well that's all for now. It should be pretty obvious what set her off, ut if not you'll see in the next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Kibble scribble: boom, another chapter that slowly inches us forward. Hey, they are gems, they take a while to do things XD being serious though, should I perhaps start adding a date identifier to chapters to make it easier to tell how much time has passed?**

Xxxxx

Historically Karin Valliere was known as a level headed and serious woman. The captain of Tristains Manticore knights as well as one of the most powerful mages and influential individuals in the country. Most saw her as unbending, unmoving and unemotional, a woman who acted upon a set of rules that allowed her to always act properly and right.

In the past that was not entirely incorrect, but after reading her duaghters diary and having time to consider her actions of the past that had changed. She had made mistakes, among them thinking that a lack of emotion would make things better. So in regard to that she decided to make a choice, and only hold back her emotions when not in regards to her family.

So when she heard the name of the most hated Germanian family to her own family, it struck a bad chord and angered her slightly. And then she realized that the woman before her was not only of that family, but one of the most prominent students at the academy to have bullied her late daughter and who in the diary was cited as one of the most hateful of people toward her.

That was all she needed to know. In that same instant she rose and ripped her wand free of its pocket and sent out a huge gale of wind, knocking both girls backwards onto the grass and forcing Evelyn to cover her eyes with a hand.

The Gems simply sat there, unaffected by the wind, watching what was occurring in front of them.

"You Zerbst harlot!" Karin screamed as she swung g her arm and created another blast of wind, knocking down both girls, again as they tried to get up, and knocking Kirche further away. "Tell me why I should not kill you right here!?"

"W-what?" Kirche managed to blurt out in confusion while still on the ground.

"Stop," Tabitha said a bare second later just as Karin was about to speak. She rose to her feet quick , showing skill that marked her as at least somewhat experienced, and pointed her staff at Karin.

"Stay out of this Gallian, it has nothing to do with you, and as an emissary yourself engaging me directly is not in your best interest," Karin said, voice filled with anger and barely held back disgust as she looked back at Kirche. "Tell me why I should not kill you for what you have done?"

"I, do not understand, I do not know you, i have done nothing!" Kirche said in confusion as she tried to get back to her feet, knowing that she was missing something important, but was unsure what it was.

"Lady Valliere, I know that her family and yours do not get along, but this is not right " Evelyn spoke up, her words making Kirche's eyes go wide.

Karin saw Kirche's eyes widen in realization and ignored Evelyn's words as she took another step forward. "yes, I am Duchess Karin de Valliere, the Heavy Wind of Tristain. So Tell me Zerbst, what should I not kill you for what you have done?"

"I, lady Valliere, I understand our families do not get along, both due to history and our territories closeness, but what have I done to you to warrant such a response as this? I have done nothing to you."

Karin stopped, feeling her eye twitch at the words she just heard her anger spiraling up further and further. "Nothing? You claim you have done nothing? How about your action toward my daughter who is now gone? I have read her diaries, I know of the mockery, the insults, the childish and rude pranks and tormenting that you aimed toward her as a primary instigator. My daughter is gone and you are very much a part of the reason, and you claim that you have done nothing to me or my family?!" Karin nearly yelled as the air around her was beginning to whip around into the birth of a cyclone.

"I, it was just, friendly teasing among classmates, it-"

"FRIENDLY TEASING?!" Karin screamed in absolute disgust at the words that Kirche tried to use to defend herself. "Snapped quills, ruined assignment sheets and torn bedding is already harassment of a very high order, and that is little compared to the verbal harassments, insults and belittlement that are far below what any of noble standing would lower themselves too! My daughter is gone, and it is very clear to me that you are part of that reason why. So give me a real reason why I should not kill you right now you disgusting Zerbst Harlot?!"

"I, that is, she had it, I mean, she couldn't-"

"War," Tabitha suddenly spoke up while Kirche fumbled her words, trying to say anything to save herself.

"Excuse me?" Karin said as she looked at Tabitha, her eyes filled with barely contained anger.

"Zerbst, high rank house. Hurt, could cause, war," Tabitha said in a monotone.

"She is right Lady Karin. I do understand why you are feeling the way you are, but hurting, or killing, her is not going to help," Evelyn spoke up, silently noting that the three gems were still sitting on the grass, simply watching.

Karin growled, actually growled, as she slowly turned her gaze back to Kirche. "Get out of my sight Zerbst. I do not want to see your face again as long as I live, and if I do, I will make you're a living hell, however short it becomes!"

"Kirche, friend. Ally. Support for mission," Tabitha spoke up as she stepped in between Karin and Kirche.

"Not a chance!" Karin stated with vehemence. "Germania has a dignitary here for these talks already, and she did not bring you. And I will not suffer your presence any longer!"

"You, you can't just-"

"You will have to deal with her presence for a time," Uraninite suddenly said as she was between Tabitha and Karin as she pointed a hand up into the sky offshore. "We are about to have the worst visitors possible."

Karin blinked and then looked to where Uraninite was staring to find a scene she never before thought she would witness.

For the very sky had a scar forming across it. A deep black line cut across the sky, as if warping everything around it, and then it began to expand, forming an almost oval-like black splotch within it that expanded as it seemed to move closer to the island.

Then, something began coming out of the black mass of nothingness. It was white, like a torrent of water that was colored like clouds yet moved like smoke. It flowed out in waves and waves, increasing the ebb and flow as the mass continued to grow. Then something began to slip out atop the waves of flowing liquid cloud. It looked like porcelain or marble, white with a shine that no metal could replicate. It was like a great disc large as a building, but as it began to push out of the black slice in the sky, two things became noticeable.

There was a strange jingle, like instruments made of bells and whistles that could be heard, and there were some kind of forms upon the disc, though they could not be seen well from the high angle.

"What, is that?" Evelyn asked in confusion as she noted that the other two Gems had stood up, Yellow diamond taking out her sword and revealing it to be a gleaming black and jagged shard of stone.

"Lunarians. Our only enemy," Obsidian spoke up as they held her hands together, a liquid substance as black as their body forming into a short blade before hardening, cracks all over it.

"We have not said much about them, but we do not know much in truth. They come on days of clear skies and try to beat us and capture our broken bodies," Yellow diamond said before scowling. "and sometimes, they come with weapons made of the bodies of our fallen."

"Weapons, made your kind? Out of gemstones that were, like you?" karin asked as she continued to stare at the thing coming out of the darkness in the sky. The music emanating from it was surreal and it made her shiver involuntarily.

"Yes. They attack us, and do not speak even when demanded answers, so our response is always the same," Uraninite said as their arms began to deform, crystals growing out of them both ways and forming jagged claws far larger than what looked proper for their body size. "Beat them into mist!"

"You all should stand back and not get in the way," Yellow Diamond said with a slight smile as the white floating platform finally pulled completely free of the black scar, revealing it to be as large as a building. "We do not know how they may react to your kind."

"Believe, could be violent?" Tabitha asked calmly as the Lunarian platform began to descend, allowing everyone to see the large monument upon it with a demon faced Lunarian atop it, and no less than seven lines of archers knocking bows.

"They always are," Uraninite said, right before the archers all let loose arrows that moved at such surprising speed that Karins eyes actually went wide.

"MOVE!" Karin yelled as she leapt backwards and swung her wand creating a blast of wind to knock the arrows away.

Only they didn't even budge and continued flying, spearing the ground where she had just been standing and almost hitting Kirche if Tabaitha had not used her staff to deflect an arrow that had been going right for her.

Unfortunately for her, the arrow embedded halfway through the end of her staff, and was so heavy she could feel it ruin her staffs balance. "Heavy. Not iron."

"We do not know what the Lunarians weapons are made of. Most disappear when their user does," Obsidian stated as she deflected a thrown javelin, its shaft embedding nearly half of its length into the ground even after she deflected it. "Just stay back."

"But those things are clearly-" Evelyn began to say, only to stop when she witnessed Uraninite jump almost thirty feet straight up into the air and form their one arm into a makeshift shield. The Lunarians turned their bows on her, striking her shield and cracking it. And Yellow Diamond, taking advantage of their shifted target, leapt even higher and landed on the platform, their sword flashing side to side so fast that Evelyn could not even see where it was going. A second later she jumped down from the platform, having culled almost half of their archers, and landed right beside Obsidian, and in front of where Uraninite had landed barely a second before, creating a small crater beneath them. "-to . . . High."

"The big one seems for be guarding the platforms core," Yellow Diamond said simply.

"Then we take them both out at once," Uraninite said with a grin.

"Want to just vaporize them then?"

"No, if I do, it will make the humans sick. Their animals, remember?"

"Oh, regular swords it is then," Yellow Diamond said as they rushed forward and then jumped up so high that they landed on the edge of the platform without an issue. The nearest Lunarians to them turned their bows, but then suddenly burst apart as dark black spears flew through the air an impaled them, courtesy of Obsidian.

Uraninite landed atop the platform a moment later, crystalline claws now covering their feet as well, and making whatever the Lunarian platform was made of bubble under their feet. "I know you things cannot speak, but I know your intelligent and probably forgot about me, so here is a gift!" Uraninite then said as they tossed a large dull green rock onto the platform. A rock that then began glowing orange.

Many of the Lunarians visibly panicked, throwing their weapons at the gems as they all rushed to grab the stone and do away with it. Only for the stone to stop glowing as soon as one of them touched it. Yellow Diamond and Uraninite then fell upon them like an avalanche. Flashes of sword and claw sliced and tore through Lunarians who were now weaponless and culled their numbers quickly, causing the big one who sat atop the platforms pulpit to jump down and attack them.

It proved its skill in combat in seconds, swinging around a club the size of a tree trunk in broad swipes that led into the next, never leaving itself directly open to attack as it pressed its own. Yellow Diamond even with her speed was on the defensive, and Uraninite could not approach with the lesser range of their claws.

Luckily the big lunarian was not their objective, and a moment later a trio of black spears flew over their heads and right into the platforms main column, doing enough damage to break it. The platform shuddered and began to break apart into strings of mist.

"Time to bail!" Uraninite stated as they jumped off the platform, followed a second later by Yellow Diamond.

"Well this confirms that the Lunarians are still around," Yellow Diamond said as the two of the, landed on the grass with dull thuds, much to the surprise of the emissaries.

"Yeah, good thing taking out the platform,-" obsidian was interrupted as the huge Lunarian crashed to the ground on its feet, glaring at them with its beautifully carved face and its eyes filled with rage. "takes, them, out. This is new!"

The Lunarian brute lifted its club high, only to suddenly be impaled on large pieces of ice, struck by balls of flame and cut into pieces by lashing blades of wind.

Yellow Diamond spun about to see Kirche, Tabitha and Karin pointing their wands to where the Lunarian brute had must been, making it clear as the sky what had just happened. "you should not have probably attacked. The lunarians could see you as enemies now."

"they attacked first, so it is of no consequence," Karin said simply as she flicked her wand down at the ground and then slipped it into a small holder on her belt. "Do we need to worry about them appearing again?"

"Not today, no. The Lunarians normally attack on sunny days, but only once per day," Obsidian stated.

"Never on other days?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"No. If there is enough sun they might appear on days with some cloud, but if the skies are clouded they do not appear unless the sun breaks through," Yellow Diamond said as they sheathed their sword. "I need to go report the Lunarians appearance here, so co fine without me for a time."

Before anyone could say anything Yellow Diamond was then gone, a streak of yellow following behind them as they ran across the grass and disappeared into the distance.

"Um, should we-" kirche began to say, only to have Karin turn back towards her.

"You will be leaving, Zerbst. You do not belong here, and I will not tolerate your presence!"

"bit I just-" Kirche tried to argue until Tabitha leveled her staff in front of her.

"it fine. Stay with Sylpheed." Kirche looked like she wanted to speak up, but stopped herself and nodded before walking away, Tabitha's dragon following her a distance away before the two of them sat down much outside of speaking range. Tabitha then looked back at Karin. "Fine?"

"Acceptable I suppose," Karin allowed with a slight scowl in the direction of Kirche. She then turned back to Tabitha. "May I ask your intentions here as an emissary of Gallia?"

"Learn, report, pass information, and messages," Tabitha said simply before turning to Uraninite and Obsidian. "Island, yours?"

"The island is ours, yes," Uraninite said very calmly, the crystal claws braking off of their arms and falling to the grass, faintly glowing still.

"Golems?" Tabitha asked next as she noted the broken shards and took a step forwards.

"No, you cannot touch those," Obsidian spoke up quickly. "At least not when they glow like that."

Tabitha just simply stared at Obsidian, and after a few seconds it became clear she was expecting an explanation.

"Miss Tabitha, lady Valliere and I have been speaking with the Gems a few times now as emissaries from our own nations," Evelyn spoke up, drawing attention to herself. "Perhaps we should first tell you of the things we have been told first. Does that sound acceptable to you?"

Tabitha nodded. " Please do."

"Then let us get comfortable, it may take some time," Evelyn stated as she looked to Uraninite and Obsidian. "Would you like to explain your kind?"

"You may, and we will speak up if there is anything to add, as you likely could explain it better to your own kind I believe," Uraninite answered, their tone oddly distant.

"Then let us begin," Karin spoke up as she sat down, and then began the arduous task of explaining multiple days worth of discoveries to a girl who looked only as old as her daughter should be.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, you okay?" Obsidian asked in a whisper as they shifted their seated position closer to Uraninite's side as the three humans shared their knowledge. The two of them were doing a good job in not telling the third incorrect information.

But they way that Uraninite was staring at the grass was odd.

"I am fine. At least in body," Uraninite admitted, then continued after a pause. "I, was not expecting her to take my, absence, like that."

"Could that mean that you were wrong about how she felt of you?" Obsidian asked carefully.

Uraninite thought to themselves for a moment before very shaking their head. "I do not believe so. If anyone did care, they should have shown it. My guess is that my, disappearance caused a number of things to happen, or realizations to be made, and that is what caused this change of personality in her."

"Okay, but what are you going to do?"

"Nothing i think. That was my old life, and I don't intend to go back to it. As long as no ones somehow makes a connection between my old identity and this one, I don't need to do anything."

"Do you think anyone knows?"

"Maybe lady Valliere, its hard to say," Uraninite admitted.

"Then we simply pay attention while living," Obsidian said as they looked up and focused on the humans conversation, which seemed to be progressing rather fast.

"So, you understand the basics then?" Evelyn asked Tabitha.

"Yes," Tabitha said with a nod. "Gems, not golem. Sentient, made of precious stones, and eat sunlight. Claim to not age, nor know reason for island homes sudden appearance here. At war with those creatures, called Lunarians. Culture, does not match, Halkeginian, nor Elven."

"Simple but accurate. A Good thing as it took us days to get that information down accurately," Karin muttered with a sigh. "you are mostly caught up on the basics now I suppose. Now we can get back to continuing to learn."

"On that note, we have been alternating questions with the gems. Would you like to as, ask something first as you are new?" Evelyn asked Tabitha.

Tabitha nodded, then looked at Uraninite and Obsidian as if asking permission, and spoke up when Obsidian nodded to her. "Gallia, interested in trade. What might you have to?" she asked, surprising both Evelyn and Karin with such a direct question, as they both had been avoiding such questions this far, content with learning to avoid problems.

Both Gems looked at each other as if conversing without words, before Uraninite spoke up. "I do not believe that we have anything that your people would want that we are willing to trade. The paper and cloth we use is produced as needed, and only enough for repairs is kept aside."

"The blades I make likely wouldn't suit you either, and we can't just hand over our stockpile of small gem pieces in case someone is born of that Gem. After all, injuries are not rare when one is learning," Obsidian added with a smile.

"Born?" Tabitha asked in clear confusion.

"Ah, we forgot that," Evelyn said in realization. "The Gems do not have gender as we do, and they are born from a Cliffside on the island that is apparently filled with a variety of Gemstones. It is a very hollowed place for them in a way."

"Understand."

"Then as for our question, can we know what your reason for being here is?" Uraninite asked simply. "Both Germania and Tristain sent people first to investigate our islands sudden appearance here, and then send these two when they knew we were here after all."

"Gallia, curious about resources. Maybe alliance of some kind. May request meeting in future."

"Founder dammit," Karin swore to herself before letting out a resigned sigh. "My queen has actually made it clear for me too pass on a similar message. She requests to meet you in person."

Uraninite and Obsidian looked at each other then back to Tabitha and Karin, with Obsidian speaking up. "Then, why did she not come with you to meet us?"

"When a regent of a nation requests a meeting, it is not really a request, but an order to appear before them and their court, in their own palace," Evelyn explained quickly.

"Ah, we were not aware of that," Obsidian said before looking to Uraninite, promoting them to speak up.

"With respect, I do not believe we could do such a thing. Crossing the ocean is not something our kind enjoy or partake of, and I doubt that your beasts could lift up more than one of us due to our weight. There would also be the point of all of us deciding upon doing such a thing, which I do not see as very likely."

"May I ask why?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"This island is our home, provides us with all we need, and we know all about it. If one of us is in danger here, others can help, but outside the island such a thing is far harder," Uraninite explained as Yellow diamond came back running at unbelievable speeds, and stopped perfectly beside Obsidian.

"Sorry that took a bit, there were two other Sunspots that appeared, so it took a bit longer to report," Yellow Diamond said as they sat down.

"What are, sunspots?" Tabitha asked in a seemingly uninterested tone.

"The black mass that the Lunarians arrive from. That is what we call them," Yellow Diamond explained quickly before grinning. "What did I miss?"

"The leaders of two of their groups are requesting we leave the island and meet with them in their territory," Uraninite said, causing Yellow Diamonds expression to become conflicted.

"I don't think that will happen. It doesn't sound safe either."

"These two said as much," Evelyn said with a resigned sigh. "That, and what else we now know should likely be informed too our leaders however."

"Easier in person," Tabitha then spoke up as she got to her feet. "May return with questions, or messages."

"Of course, if you are coming peacefully then we have no problem with you coming!" Yellow Diamond said as they looked to Evelyn and Karin. "Will you be doing the same?"

"We likely should yes. Unlike lady Valiere who can send missives, I have yet to report anything of what you have told us to my lord as of yet," Evelyn admitted as Tabitha turned and began walking back to where her dragon and Kirche were waiting.

"My queen will wish to know that her request was, politely refused, as well," Karin said as she got up. "Thank you for meeting with us as you have. You have been very hospitable with what you have. We shall meet again."

"We'll see you later then. Be safe," Obsidian said.

They both nodded before they walked off to their mounts and took off being followed by Tabitha's dragon a moment later.

"So, is them inviting us to meet them good, or not?" Yellow Diamond asked as they looked at Uraninite, who then flopped onto the grass.

"I'm not sure. Tristain and Germania are, not acting how I guessed they would," Uraninite admitted. "It would not be a good idea for us to leave the island if we can help it though. If they decided to imprison us, it would be hard to escape and get back here without making things even worse in that kind of situation."

"Well we can all decide together. Let's head back, Sensei wants us all back to discuss how three simultaneous sunspots appeared."

"Alright, but maybe let us keep up?" Obsidian asked hopefully as they and Uraninite got up off the grass.

Yellow Diamond just smiled.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Dame Evelyn, I should thank you," Karin said as she and Evelyn dismounted to acquire food for themselves before they would part to head their lands capitols.

"May I ask what for?"

"Both for trying to assist in stopping my queens message, and for stopping my emotions from making me do something, distasteful," Karin explained.

"It is fine. You told me of your situation, but it would not do to make our nations less agreeable to each other. Have you discerned if the one is indeed your child?"

"I am, unsure, there have been times where I am certain, yet others where that one seems so completely unlike my daughter, so calm, logical, and collected, that it seems impossible," she said, right before shaking her head. "To many things are yet unknown, and I do not believe that my Queen will take their response well. Though I admit I am more immediately worried about those fishing boats we saw just away from this village. I may need to make it clear to them that the island is not to be approached or landed upon."

"That may be a good idea. Would you like help?" Evelyn asked helpfully.

"Thank you, but no. They may consider it strange if you were there as well."

"I understand. I will buy some food and head for Germania. Till next we meet, Lady Valliere."

"Till next we meet."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you are saying they are sentient gemstones with no central government, and we saw them jumping and fighting in says no human or elf ever could, and will likely be of major concern to all the countries due to being made of jewelry?" Kirche asked from behind Tabitha on Sylpheeds back.

Tabitha simply nodded.

"Damn, I feel bad for them. Idiots and fools will likely try to attack them thinking it easy money but . . . . Hey Tab, did that one kind of greenish one seem familiar somehow?"

Tabitha turned to look at kirche, saying nothing, but making it clear she did not understand.

"Ah, i guess I'm just a bit tired, never mind."

Tabitha simply nodded and went back to looking ahead, but in truth she did know what kirche was meaning. The green ones eyes were oddly familiar, she just couldn't quiet place it.


End file.
